Stowmarket teenager Jake Andrade reflects on Christmas cancer treatment and urges people to support Teenage Cancer Trust

A teenager who spent last Christmas in hospital being treated for a recurrence of leukaemia is calling for people to support a charity that helped him through the traumatic ordeal.

Jake Andrade, 19, from Stowmarket, was first diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) at the age of 13 and he was given the all-clear after a bone marrow transplant.

Five years later on December 17, Jake was told his cancer was back and that treatment needed to start immediately despite being so close to Christmas.

Jake said: “I didn’t cry just yet. I just stared into space, my eyes and mouth were wide open in absolute shock.

“I felt like I had lost consciousness, I didn’t feel like I was in the moment.

“Tears started dropping from my eyes as I said: ‘I can’t do it again.’

“I did wonder whether I would survive.”

Jake was admitted to Ward C9 at Addenbrooke's Hospital which is funded by the Teenage Cancer Trust and designed specifically to cater to the needs of young people.

This ward has a social zone, gaming consoles, a large TV and lots of DVDs and games to enjoy.

“It helped to have somewhere to pass the time when I was well enough,” Jake said.

“The Teenage Cancer Trust wards are definitely wards like no other, and you really feel looked after there.

“They were much quieter compared to the chaotic children’s wards I had spent my earlier days on.”

Chemotherapy treatment started on December 23 which had made Jake feel sick with infection and a high temperature on Christmas Eve.

Along with this, he also felt very lonely as the other patients were able to go home and the only family member allowed to visit was his mum due to Covid-19 restrictions.

He said: “I would normally have spent Christmas with my sister and dad too.

“As it was, I spent most of the day sleeping or throwing up in the bathroom.

“But Teenage Cancer Trust tried their best to make it as Christmassy as possible - I had a Christmas dinner and Rosie, my Teenage Cancer Trust’s nurse, gave me a present.”

During this time in Jake’s life, his relapse had a big impact on his mental health and he gave up hope on his treatment.

However, nurse Rosie supported him during this hard time.

Jake said: “My attitude was often quite poor, telling people there was a chance I’d probably be dead by August, and that it wasn’t worth me fighting.

“Rosie was there for me last Christmas and has been a massive support ever since. She’s always there if I need her, either to chat in person or answer my calls or text messages.”

He went on to have his second bone marrow transplant in April 2022 and although he has made a recovery, there is a 50 per cent chance of a future relapse.

Jake said: “We still have grounds for hope that my remission won’t just be five years, but rather for the rest of my life. I am worried about the future and the thought of relapsing again but I’m back at uni and trying to get my life back on track.”

Every day seven young people in the UK aged 13 to 24 hear the words ‘you have cancer’ - charities like the Teenage Cancer Trust support young people like Jake to help them through these unfortunate circumstances.

To donate to Teenage Cancer Trust’s Winter appeal, follow this link.

Jake added: “The support I got from Teenage Cancer Trust made a terrible situation a little bit easier to cope with and no young person should have to go through something like this without the help they need.

“So please, spare a couple of quid or whatever you can to support the charity this year because young people shouldn’t have to face it alone.”