News stories

Comedian Romesh Ranganathan has praised staff working on the Teenage Cancer Trust Young Person’s Unit at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham for their work to support teenagers and young adults with cancer.

Romesh, who is a long-standing supporter of Teenage Cancer Trust, visited the unit during his Hustle tour, donating tickets to the unit’s staff and young people so they could have an evening out away from the hospital.

During a surprise visit to the unit, Romesh spent time chatting with young people, their families and with staff.

Romesh spoke with young people about their common interests, such as music, football and food. He said it was amazing to see the staff go above and beyond to support young people with cancer. Approximately 200 13 - 24 year olds in the West Midlands are newly diagnosed with cancer each year.

Teenage Cancer Trust funds specialist nurses, Youth Support Coordinators and hospital units within the NHS to provide the very best care and support during treatment and beyond, making sure cancer doesn’t stop young people from living their lives.

Alex Tootill, a Clinical Liaison Nurse Specialist working at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, said it was brilliant to meet Romesh and to talk to him about her role.

She added: “It’s a privilege to help young people, we try to give them some optimism and hope at a really difficult time.

“Teenage Cancer Trust staff are there for a young person right from the start, from when they are diagnosed, through to treatment and up to two years after.

“Cancer can turn young people’s worlds upside down and we are there to help them through it. Whether they want to plan for now or plan for the future, we are there to support them.

“When you’re a teenager or a young adult, it is such a pivotal time of your life and we are there to help bring some normality and to encourage young people to realise that they are in control of their lives. Cancer will not rule their lives.”

Romesh said: “Teenage Cancer Trust is a cause that I have been passionate about for many years and getting to spend time at the hospital and meeting the people who are being supported by the charity has been a really enlightening experience because it has shown me how important the Teenage Cancer Trust’s work is.

“One of the things I’ve noticed on the units is how good the staff are with young people and their parents, who are going through a particularly difficult and challenging time.

“What the staff do every single day is amazing and I want to thank them for that.”

Staff on the unit make sure each person having treatment gets the best possible quality care and is treated as a young person first, and a cancer patient second.

As part of his huge headline tour, Romesh invited just under 200 frontline staff and young people supported by Teenage Cancer Trust to see his show for free.