A 21-YEAR-OLD woman has praised the cancer care she received, though it was 80 miles from home.

Chloe Woolfe, from Brighton, was diagnosed with stage 2 osteosarcoma at 17 when doctors found a tumour the size of a fist in her leg.

Since there are no specialist nurses in Brighton, Chloe went to the Teenage Cancer Trust ward at University College Hospital in London.

She stayed there five days a week for nine months while having chemotherapy treatment, and still makes the five hour round trip there for check-ups and physio appointments every six months.

She said: “Nothing compares to Teenage Cancer Trust. I owe them everything, without their support I wouldn’t be where I am today.

“The ward had everything, like TVs, games consoles, computers and a pool table, and there was always something going on like music workshops, arty activities, massages, or pizza nights.

“It made the harsh reality of cancer treatment that little bit more manageable.

“The only downside is it was so far away, friends couldn’t visit me and I have to take a day off work for a ten-minute appointment.”

Currently, Royal Sussex County Hospital offers care for children and adults with cancer, but teenagers are usually referred to the Teenage Cancer Trust ward at the Royal Marsden Hospital in Surrey.

In a bid to bring age-appropriate care that is close to home to all teenagers with cancer, Teenage Cancer Trust is setting up its services in more hospitals around the UK, starting in Brighton.

The charity estimates that it will cost £1,236 a day to run the specialist nursing and support service out of the Royal Sussex County Hospital and it held an event on Western Lawns in Hove on Thursday where businesses and individuals pledged their financial support.

Around seven young people aged between 13 and 24 are diagnosed with cancer every day in the UK.

The Teenage Cancer Trust is dedicated to getting them expert treatment and support.

Apart from the University College Hospital in London used by Cloe, the trust also has the Royal Marsden.

The only other unit in the south is at Southampton.