Award launched for children with cancer in the Black Country and Staffordshire

Around 610 children in the Midlands region are diagnosed with the disease every year.

Nominations for the Cancer Research UK for Children & Young People Star Awards are now open and families are being called on to nominate young cancer patients and survivors for the honour in the run up to Christmas.

The Star Awards are open to all under 18s who live in the UK and have been treated for the disease within the past five years.

There is no judging panel, because Cancer Research UK for Children & Young People believes every child diagnosed with cancer deserves special recognition.

Everyone nominated receives a trophy, £50 TK Maxx gift card, t-shirt and a certificate signed by a host of famous faces, including children’s poet and author Joseph Coelho, US singer, dancer and reality TV star JoJo Siwa, pop icon Pixie Lott, TV personality Dr Ranj and children’s TV favourite Mister Maker. Their siblings also receive a special certificate.

Calling for more nominations across the region, JoJo Siwa said: “The Star Awards are a brilliant way to recognise the courage of children who are diagnosed with cancer. They have to go through so much and the Star Awards are a great scheme for them and their families, to show them that we all think they are so brave.”

Cancer in children and young people is different to cancer in adults, from the types of cancer that affect this age group to the long-term effects of treatment, such as hearing loss and infertility. It needs a different and dedicated approach.

That’s why Cancer Research UK - the biggest charitable funder of research into children’s and young people’s cancers in the UK- is supporting vital work to develop more effective and less toxic treatments.

Right now, researchers and doctors in Birmingham are investigating how to improve survival in children and young people with newly diagnosed acute lymphoid leukaemia (ALL). The trial, called ALLTogether-1, also aims to reduce long-term side effects caused by tailoring treatments to patients based on how likely their cancer is to come back. Birmingham is home to a Cancer Research UK Clinical Trials Unit, which hosts the only dedicated clinical trial unit for children’s cancers of its kind in the UK.

Thanks to research like this and some of the charity’s breakthroughs, children’s cancer survival in the UK has more than doubled since the 1970s.*** But there’s still much further to go.

The Star Awards help shine a light on some of the unique challenges faced by young people with cancer that Cancer Research UK scientists are working to tackle.

Cancer Research UK spokesperson for the West Midlands, Paula Young, said: “We’re driving forward progress, so more children and young people can live longer, better lives, free from the fear of cancer.

“A cancer diagnosis is heart-breaking at any age, but it can be particularly devastating for youngsters - especially when many may experience life-long side effects from their treatment.

“Not only do our Star Awards help to put these inspirational individuals in the spotlight where they belong, they pay tribute to their supportive siblings who deserve to be celebrated too. That’s why we’re urging people to get nominating in the run up to Christmas, so we can give more incredible young people the recognition they so truly deserve.”

To nominate a star visit cruk.org/starawards