Benji’s Story

"Finding out I'd had cancer as a baby hit me pretty hard. At first I didn't understand, I thought it was something older people get and it kills people. My mind was in overdrive for the next couple of years, wondering: Do I still have it? Is it still in me? Will I ever be 'normal'? Will I get cancer again? And if I do, will I die?

I had many sleepless nights, unsure if I was the only one like this and why me. It was like no one understood what I was going through or how I felt.

It wasn't until I joined CanTeen and could share my stories and experiences with other people my age that I realised there was a place where people actually understood what was happening to me. It really opened my eyes that I was not alone, and it helped me to not be so afraid.

When my cancer did come back, it was really hard to talk to Mum and Dad and my brother about it. But because I was already in CanTeen, I could reach out towards my friends there, especially the ones who were in treatment at the time, and they talked me through what happens.

That has helped me feel better, just having that massive support network from other people that understand what I am going through, and knowing that they are there for me at my best as well as when I'm at my worst."