Back on Track WA
When a child survives cancer, their hopes and dreams deserve to survive too
A life should be long and full of stories, experiences, and adventures; and a cancer diagnosis should only rob us of time, not opportunity. This couldn’t be more true for our young Australian population who are yet to make their mark on the world. We know cancer in childhood or adolescence impacts significantly on school attendance, experiences and educational outcomes. Children undergoing cancer treatment already miss out on enough, and education shouldn’t be one of them.
With the launch of a new advocacy-based program, the skies the limit for Australia’s young cancer survivors and patients in remission. A first of its kind in WA, the Back on Track initiative ensures children who go through cancer treatment do not fall through the cracks with their education due to the enormous strain treatment can have. Instead, they’re armed with the resources and support they need to feel empowered to chase their dreams and succeed in the classroom and beyond.
Over the past few years, parental concern for their child’s education following diagnosis has been researched and documented by the Child Cancer Research Foundation, including noting reductions in academic performance, ability to participate in school and school-related activities and the need for education professionals and school peers to receive information specific to their child’s needs.
The Child Cancer Research Foundation Chief Operator Officer, Kylie Dalton, has dedicated the past three years researching with families and children who have gone through treatment, adults who’ve had cancer as a child and support organisations.
“Working with child cancer families has taught me that while improvements have been made with treatments there are many gaps that the kids face. One of them is support with education that fits their needs,” says Kylie
When a student returns to school after cancer it can be a good sign that their life is returning to their ‘new normal’. However, many young people return to school feeling ‘different’ to how they felt before treatment. Common concerns include loss of identity, social anxiety, fear and worry about failure, lack of self-confidence, worrying about what their capabilities and how to manage full days of school; just ask Perth mum Tegan Connolly. Her son Logan was diagnosed with B cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia when he was two and a half years old and spent years enduring intense regimes of daily chemotherapy and daily steroid to help his tiny body fight the cancer.
“I still see the effects of missed experiences from Logan’s early formative years. Whether it was staying home, isolation, lost friendships, and loneliness; his health came first and everything else followed”, says Tegan. “I can’t wait to see the profound impact, Back on Track will have on Logan and our next generation of young achievers who have the world at their feet.”
The Back on Track WA program ensures children have the chance to get back to their education post treatment; an opportunity every child deserves. The initiative provides education advocates funded by Telethon 7 for the program, with one assigned to a child cancer patient following diagnosis or beyond treatment, who will remain with the child for their entire education journey, tutoring, advocating at any level and most importantly with the school. The education advocate supports the child, parents, siblings, classmates, and the teacher throughout the entire journey, offering guidance upon the often-daunting return to the classroom.
Many of the children the Child Cancer Research Foundation has worked with over the years in Western Australia have gone on to become doctors, nurses and research scientists; inspired by their own journey and despite the loss of their education during treatment. This program encourages and motivates our next generation of budding medicos and professionals to believe in their ability and use the tools to achieve greatness.
“Back on Track WA has already proven to be invaluable to many WA child cancer families. We couldn’t be happier with the take up of the program”, says Kylie. Travelling to Albany, Boddington, Bunbury and Busselton, just to name a few; the CCRF is on a mission to deliver the Back on Track program to every child in WA.
Childhood cancer mum Kerrin Hampson, has watched her son Marley struggle with neurocognitive side effects since primary school. “This is going to help Marley find his confidence, feel supported and give him the structures he needs to succeed on his own terms”, says Kerrin.
It’s been a vision years in the making and with the support of Cancer Australia’s seed funding, envisioning every WA child with cancer reach their full educational potential is becoming even more of a reality. With incredible partners already onboard, we welcome more to join the initiative’s mission continuing to offer life-changing support for children returning to school after cancer treatment.
Together, let’s get WA children living with cancer back on track and build brighter futures.