Northampton's 11-year-old cancer survivor Sienna finds herself again after summer voyage with other young people 'in the same boat'

A 11-year-old cancer survivor from Northampton says she looking forward to the future after the adventure of a lifetime this summer.
Cancer-survivor Sienna took the sailing trip with other young people to meet other young people in the same boat as her.Cancer-survivor Sienna took the sailing trip with other young people to meet other young people in the same boat as her.
Cancer-survivor Sienna took the sailing trip with other young people to meet other young people in the same boat as her.

It has been a tough year for Sienna Roberts. She is only now recovering from the ovarian cancer that caused her to miss her SATS and threw her life into chaos.

But Sienna found another side of the condition was how she felt she drifted away from other people her age who couldn't understand what she was going through.

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She wanted to meet with other people her who were faced with the same troubles as her. And this summer, she found a chance to do that with the Ellen Macarthur Cancer Trust.

Sienna has just returned from a sailing trip with the trust where she cruised with other young cancer survivors, brought together to help rebuild their confidence.

Sienna said: "I’ve made a lot of new friends on the trip, it’s nice to finally be able to relate to people and share our experiences, it’s made us become closer because we all have something in common.

My friends at home didn’t always understand, I sometimes had to remind them that I had a line in as they would forget. I’m the only person in my school that’s had something like this but with the people here I’m more normal and we’ve become close because everyone understands.”

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Her four-day voyage saw her crew on-board a 45-foot boat with other young people in the same situation as her.

The Ellen Macarthur Trust works with young people aged between eight and 24 and uses sailing to rebuild confidence and support them in re-engaging with education, employment, relationships and society after cancer.Through Trust trips young people develop confidence through learning new skills, making friends, talking to others who have been through similar experiences, pushing physical boundaries, rediscovering their independence and no longer feeling alone.The trip has given Sienna a more positive outlook. She said: “There’s a lot of people here in the same situation, I feel happier knowing it’s not just me. At the hospital everyone kept themselves alone as they weren’t very happy, but everyone here has finished treatment so they’re not all sad, I feel much happier now.”