A schoolboy was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer after finding a lump on his neck. Now aged Callum Shallcross is bravely telling his story.
When the doctors told Callum and his mum he had cancer it came as a devastating blow. He said: “I was given the news twice. When I was told by an A&E consultant I zoned out and dissociated from reality.
“I went into my own mind and was staring blankly. My mum broke down. I was told again by my oncologist, and that time I broke down.”
Today, Wednesday, March 22 the teen is heading to London's Royal Albert Hall to introduce a special film he is starring in, and warn to others about the dangers of the disease. Callum's appearance is part of the Cancer Trust’s week-long gig series, which is taking place at the historic location.
Speaking about his cancer diagnosis, he told the Manchester Evening News: “No-one teaches you the symptoms of cancer as a young person or what signs to look out for.
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“I thought nothing of it until it grew so big and by then it was stage four. I’d probably been walking around with it for ages. I originally thought that I would just be able to continue things as normal.
"I kept going to school and carried on with my rehearsals, but I very quickly realised that I didn’t have time or the energy to do everything. I had such bad fatigue and was tired after everything.
“People need to realise the reality of it, including the social aspect, the times you are going home and being sick, missing hanging out with friends and family. The sheer isolation as a young person is very real. You feel a real loss of power.
“Another side effect was weight gain. The steroids made me feel hungry all of the time. I had really big hair and I loved it. It was a huge part of me and my identity. Nothing prepared me for how quickly I started to lose it.
“The day after my first chemo session, I ran my hand through my hair, and it started coming out in clumps. I had a breakdown and refused to go to school with clumps of my hair missing. Then I decided to own it and get it cut before it all fell out. I felt really bad about my appearance.”
Callum turned to a Teenage Cancer Trust Youth Support Coordinator called Nic. “I spoke about it to Nic and said I felt like the person I was before and the person I was now were two different people, and that I didn’t feel the best version of myself,” he explained.
“I didn’t recognize myself. Nic took time to listen to me and we spoke at length. She was a really big part of helping me understand what was happening to me.
“She also got me some great support from a psychologist at the hospital. The psychologist started to make me feel a lot better as she helped me understand that it wasn’t my fault that I’d gained weight or lost my hair.
“That was a massive help. If I didn’t understand something I got stressed out, so the psychologist helped me to understand a lot of things and put me at ease.
“Being in the Teenage Cancer Trust unit really helped too. It would have been a lot harder if I was on a children’s ward with lots of young children running around and screaming.”
“I’m really excited to see the film on the screen at the Royal Albert Hall and to share my story with all those people,” Callum said. “I hope it gets people donating to support other young people like me, because Teenage Cancer Trust really is at the heart of cancer care for young people.
“I really want people watching to understand that cancer doesn’t have to define you – that you can still go on to achieve what you want to achieve.”
Through its annual series of gigs at the Royal Albert Hall Teenage Cancer Trust has raised over £30 million to fund its specialist units, nurses, and youth support teams across the UK for young people aged 13-24. You can donate to the charity here.
