Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire Assembly Member Angela Burns has teamed up with children’s cancer charity Clic Sargent to support Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

Clic Sargent are the UKs leading cancer charity for children and are selling gold ribbon badges to help raise awareness of the huge impact that childhood cancer has, not only on the patients, but their families.

The charity has recently launched their Cancer Costs research, which shows that parents are facing huge additional financial pressures every month during their child’s treatment at a time when many are facing a declining income due to time having to be taken off work to care for their child.

Commenting, Angela said: “I have nothing but praise for the work that Clic Sargent have undertaken to raise awareness of this hidden cost of cancer. Whilst the attention is rightly on the poorly young person, their carers and parents are often forgotten about.

“Young cancer sufferers in West Wales normally have to travel a fair distance to Swansea or Cardiff to receive their treatment and we need to ensure that their parents are provided with all the support that they need at such a distressing time. They have enough to worry about in relation to their child’s illness without having to suffer financially as well.

“I am pleased that Clic Sargent are focusing on this issue this year and I will do all I can to raise it with the Health Minister and the Welsh Government whenever I get the opportunity.”