Prince Aidoo looks right at home on the stage as he talks us through his journey, accompanied by his close friend Anthony. Diagnosed with Leukaemia at age 14, Prince explains, in his own unique way, how the simple things in life kept him going, all playing a key role in how he dealt with his illness. Anthony also talks about how beneficial the conference is, stating how it’s a good chance to meet people who have been through the same thing and strike up lifelong friendships. Above all, Prince stresses the importance of remaining positive and taking something good out of a bad situation, meaning that if you want a McDonald’s burger….you have a McDonald’s burger!

Next up is Claire Woolger, who shares her story of cancer discovery, explaining how she went from being the “average teenager” worrying only about boys, school work and exams, to finding out she had something far scarier to be concerned about. Once treatment began, Claire explains how everything was put into perspective and suddenly worrying about “Mr. Fitty” down the road didn’t seem so important!

In the second of Nick’s films, we hear how, despite having his life turned upside down by treatment, he has tried to keep things as normal as possible, even managing a pint after his first chemo session! Soon realising a lifestyle change was needed however, Nick talks about how, as a nineteen year old, he got used to dealing with the side effects of treatment such as hair loss and a drastic change in appearance. During treatment, Nick explains how he grew to appreciate the good things in life and tried as much as possible to make good use of the days he felt better, in his words to “recharge the batteries”. Mentally, Nick describes how hard the battle with his emotions was and how it has made him a great deal stronger now he has experienced having cancer, offering some great advice on how to stay mentally positive.

After an intense course of treatment and now beginning to feel better, a holiday is long overdue for Jonny as he jets off to Spain and luckily, takes us with him! Leaving rainy England behind for the sparkling shores of Benalmadena near Malaga, the sun cream is packed, the shades are on and the sun is shining! We might not be experiencing the glorious weather like Jonny, but we get an envious insight into his jam packed holiday away and soon discover he’s been jetting off again- this time to France as part of a holiday organised by a wonderful charity Jonny spends a lot of time working for. Its third time lucky as Jonny has a relaxing break away with family in the Lake District and reflects on his experience with cancer, stating how it has made him a stronger and braver person despite the difficulties along the way.

Taken from the viewpoint of Katrina and Sarah Sissins, this is the story of two sisters and how together, they have coped with cancer being a big part of their lives. After finding a lump in his hand, their brother Stuart was diagnosed with a type of sarcoma cancer, undergoing treatment straight away and causing a huge impact on family life. The girls explain how the shock of discovering a loved one is very ill has affected their emotions and admit that at times, they weren’t sure how to feel. Whilst worrying about their brother, Katrina explains how they had to continue with daily activities such as school and facing their friends, where they found it hard to talk about what was occurring. The girls soon realised that support was all around them in many forms, be it school support or even the comfort they got from talking to each other. Not forgetting their lovable guinea pig Splodge, who was always at hand for a cuddle!

22 year old Adam lost his life to Leukaemia on January 9th 2008 having first contracted the disease at the age of 16. This is his story, complete with entry to the Dumball rally ‘07!