The Chad Hancock Support Program, administered through the WCH Foundation, was established in partnership with the Chad Hancock Cancer Foundation for Young Adults.

The Chad Hancock Cancer Foundation, which wound down earlier this year, was established in 2005, in memory of Chad Hancock. Chad was a young adult who battled with cancer for four years before passing away in 2004 at the age of 22.

Through the ongoing support of the founders, the program provides funding to assist with support services for young adults in South Australia and the Northern Territory, aged 15-28, who have been diagnosed with cancer.

This includes financial assistance or things such as utility bills like rent and power, vehicle registration or transport for treatment, accommodation and travel costs, food and fuel vouchers, wigs, education expenses and physio intervention.

As well as this, we support gym memberships and exercise physiology as part of the Youth Cancer Service SA/NT cancer and exercise program.

25-year-old Jackson was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) at the age of 24 and is part of the Youth Cancer Service exercise program.

“He says, “I was doing small movement up until about seven months ago, when I was good enough to start doing this stuff. Before that, they would come to my place and to the hospital, and it was just a lot catch with a kilo medicine ball and things like that. I was down to about 50 kilos, so I was very limited, I couldn’t do a whole lot. Some days, they would just move me around, just lifting my legs and things like that because I couldn’t.”

“Then when I was fit enough, and I got the tick from my hematologist to start coming to gym, we started coming and doing this. It’s been good in the past six months to start putting on weight and being able to do more actual strength work.”

“It’s good meeting people through the Youth Cancer Service too, that’s been really nice meeting people who have gone through similar sorts of things.”

21-year-old Elias started with the program just over two years ago after doing some rehabilitation after surgery.

He says, “There have been two different kinds of benefits, both physical and personal.”

“When I joined the gym group, I was very shy and reserved, and I didn’t really have an opportunity to meet anyone in my situation – young people going through cancer health treatment. So I was able to develop friendships, meet other people, kind of network and gain new friends, but also physically learn how to exercise safely in a manner that benefits me and isn’t at risk of putting myself in danger with my different health parameters.”

“As my individual journey has progressed, it’s kind of developed into more of a mentorship program in which I can experience and receive quality mentorship and guidance in a safe, controlled environment where my individual needs are met, with the ability to have access to good equipment and very highly trained professionals.”

“I think it’s very important that we’re supporting people to have access to this kind of support.”

Young people can access the Chad Hancock Support Program upon referral by the Youth Cancer Service.