Jess - aged 16

It's hard seeing my mam cry as it makes me want to cry myself but I've learnt (hopefully) not to 'bottle' things up.

My dad was diagnosed with bowel cancer in the summer and it was a shock to the whole family. Not long after finding the tumour my dad started having pains and it turns out he had a blockage in his bowel, where the cancer was. The news came back that there was more cancer around the bowel than they thought.

Not knowing what was going on my mam sat me down and told me and my sister that his cancer was terminal. I didn't know what to do, I felt isolated from my friends as they didn't know what I was going through and they could have fun, but I now had to take on the role as a young carer, helping my mam do stuff for my dad like getting his food, drinks etc. It really is tougher then what I expected it to be. It's hard seeing my mam cry as it makes me want to cry myself but I've learnt (hopefully) not to 'bottle' things up.

Learning that my dad has cancer is probably one of the hardest things I've had to go through and knowing that he's going to die soon is even harder. Knowing that he might not be there to see my prom or even how I've done in my GCSE's and definitely knowing that he won't be there when I have children of my own or get married. That's what's the hardest :(

Page updated 5 February 2018