We want to revolutionise the way we talk to children about cancer

Nic: I started to plan a future for my family that didn’t include me  

I was diagnosed with secondary breast cancer in March 2018. It was several years after my primary diagnosis and my youngest child Poppy was just four months old.  

A scan of my liver showed cancer in several areas and further scans showed several bones were also affected.  

As a new mum I struggled to get my head around the incurable diagnosis and my initial reaction was to begin planning a future for my family that would not include me. I set about planning trips and adapting my family home. Thankfully my first line treatment has kept me stable for over two years now and I’m lucky to experience very few side effects.  

Jen: I don’t think I understood what my diagnosis meant 

I was diagnosed with secondary breast cancer after completing my chemotherapy and two days before having my mastectomy. 

A scan showed an area of metastatic breast cancer on my pelvic bone. At the time I don’t think I really understood what this meant. 

I am very fortunate to have a supportive family and amazing husband. Our children were always our first thought and always will be. I am on my first line of treatment and almost one year on I feel fit and well. I currently have no evidence of active disease, which could not be better. 

Our friendship started at a Breast Cancer Now event 

We met each other at Breast Cancer Now’s Younger Women with Secondary Breast Cancer event in March, a couple of weeks before lockdown.  

We instantly clicked. Our stories were remarkably similar and our positive outlook brought us together. We spent most of our free time strolling around Bristol getting to know each other.  

We kept in touch after returning home and often chatted over a Zoom call or Instagram. When lockdown restrictions began to lift, we were excited to get our children together. The kids bonded as quickly as we had in Bristol!  

We want to improve the way we talk to children about cancer 

One of the sessions at the Breast Cancer Now event was about talking to children. The therapist that led the session gave some great advice, but we struggled with the available resources.  

Many of the books talked about a mum who got better or had a very emotional theme that had us all in tears. If we were overwhelmed by how we felt, how could we expect our children to react? 

Nic began writing children’s stories and Jen began doodling ideas for what would become a bright, colourful and interactive set of flashcards. Working from home throughout lockdown gave us the opportunity to virtually work together to come up with an A to Z of cancer and the written elements and illustrations of the cards, and the Little C Club was born.  

We want to empower parents and children 

We hope the Little C Club cards will revolutionise the way we talk to children about cancer. We want to help them process their parent’s illness, as well as give them the confidence to notice changes to their own bodies as they grow up, and take the appropriate action.   

We also want parents to have the confidence to talk to and include their children whilst they navigate their diagnosis. Our main hope is that every parent diagnosed with cancer will have access to the cards.  

We want to provide a platform through our social media to promote supportive services as well as all the amazing charities currently offering support to young families facing a diagnosis of parental cancer.  

We’ve been able to focus on something aside from our secondary diagnoses 

We both work in roles that are about caring and supporting others. Being able to produce something that we know will help so many families has given us an enormous sense of achievement. 

We’ve also been able to spend the past few months getting excited about the future of the Little C Club rather than thinking about the realities of living with a secondary diagnosis. It’s given us a huge lift and we can’t wait to see how it continues to develop.  

Don’t be afraid to talk to your children about cancer 

We’d tell anyone with young children who is struggling to talk about their diagnosis not to be afraid. Raise the subject and be prepared to answer questions. It’s natural for children to be inquisitive. 

They’ll want to know why your appearance has changed, why you no longer have the same amount of energy and other small things you might not have thought about.  

Keep the information at a level you feel comfortable with and be honest with them.  

Find The Little C Club on Instagram to find out more about the flashcards. You can also find them on Facebook and X.