"Hi, My name is James Catton, and I was diagnosed with testicular cancer when I was 19. I have now been in remission for 8 years. 

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I was just about to start the revision for my first year exams at university when I was diagnosed. Dealing with the exam stress and the uncertainty of my health was incredibly challenging. 

I finished my last exam, and was meant to go out celebrating, but the start of my chemotherapy was waiting for me the next day. 

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Going through chemotherapy is the hardest thing I've ever done. And I felt completely isolated and alone - I was the only young person in the ward, and I felt like everyone was staring at me - surprised to see someone so young. 

I completed my treatment, and thankfully passed my exams, but I really struggled to forget the traumatic experiences I had in hospital. 

After treatment, my mum heard about Teens Unite and signed me up, and it changed everything. I cannot thank them enough for supporting me to get my life back on track. 

I was quite reluctant to sign up to Teen Unite because I’m generally quite a shy person but I’m really glad I did. It really is a family and having cancer in common with everyone who joins makes it so easy to quickly join the community. 

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Meeting other young people who have been through similar experiences and offering support to each other, was what I needed. I was building good memories and friendships, whilst participating in amazing activities. 

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