Cancer trust 'changed course' of my life - survivor

A young woman supported by the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust as a child has told how the charity "changed the course of her life".

Rosie Sanderson, 19, was a baby when she was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a cancer of the nervous system.

The tumour on her spine left her with scoliosis and uneven leg growth, causing ongoing pain.

Sanderson said sailing trips for cancer survivors organised by the trust which she enjoyed from the age of 12, were "the highlight of her adolescence".

Regular scans, hospital visits and surgery remain part of her life, and growing up Rosie said she never felt the cancer was fully behind her.

Her life changed, however, when she went on the first of four sailing trips with the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust at the age of 12.

"It was amazing to meet all these young people who understood what I'd been through," she said.

"We were able to share our stories and no one was judging you. It was just a place to really open up, get to know each other and bond really well."

The trust supports four-day sailing trips for young people aged five to 18, who have completed treatment for cancer, helping them to learn new skills and have fun while gaining independence and self-esteem.

Rosie said she had "never done anything like that before" but said it was "the highlight of her adolescence".

Rosie said she "really fell in love with" being on the water.

She said: "We were able to help sail the boat, help steer it. You were standing there at the wheel at 12 years old and it was like: 'Someone's actually left me in charge of this boat.'

"When it was really warm, we'd go and sit on the bow of the boat and bounce over the waves and it was just the most amazing experience."

A three-year grant from BBC Children In Need currently helps fund delivering the trips, as well as equipment, games, and project running costs.

Rosie's mum Vicki said she was "incredibly proud" of her daughter.

Her dad Neil added: "The trips are fantastic, the volunteers the trust train and put forward are brilliant and we are very grateful for their time.

"But without the money it would be impossible."

To those completing a Children In Need challenge this year, Rosie said: "I would just like to say a massive thank you because you've changed the course of my life.

"I'm at university now and, if I didn't go on the Ellen MacArthur trips, I don't think I would have gone because I purely didn't have the confidence. I was really shy.

"Going on these trips gave me that confidence to talk to new people and open up about my own experience and just enjoy life."

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