13 March 2023
Name: Jack Seddon
Age: 25
Pronouns: He/Him
Diagnosis/year: Pineal germinoma brain tumour 2012.
When did you first sail with the Trust: Summer 2013.
What you do now: I am Packaging Analyst for Tesco, the grocery retailer.
Explain what that means: I am currently responsible for analysing and reporting on packaging used by Tesco and our customers, allowing the company to understand how packaging impacts on our environmental and sustainability goals. I also provide the data behind the Tesco packaging claims you see in stores (Anything with a big ‘R’ on it).
Why did you do want to do this: It would be hard to deny the realities of the climate challenge that faces us all, I felt through this area of work I could utilise my data skills to try and make a positive environmental impact.
What's the coolest thing you've done lately: I got back on a Trust boat for the first time since the COVID-19 lockdowns. I honestly don’t think anything could beat that in 2022!
Why did you need the Trust's support in recovery: Before my first trip, I did not think I needed the Trust’s support. I had just wanted to return to school and not stand out, but I did not realise what I was suppressing in striving to return to the life I had known before treatment.
My first week with the Trust showed me that I did not have to be afraid of acknowledging life could be different after treatment. Those evenings sat talking and playing cards, where none of us stood out as ’the kid who had cancer’ helped me to understand what I had been through, and that I had not been through it alone - others had experienced the same as me.
What part has the Trust played in you doing what you are now?
Since 2013 the Trust has played a huge part in getting me this far. From facilitating the trips, which allowed me to meet and keep in touch with people my own age, who could look beyond the diagnosis and understand what I had experienced, empathising with my feelings. To acting as a support at the times I have needed it.
The Trust and its impact have affected my daily life, providing me with the confidence and assuredness to pursue my goals.
What's your top tip for young people looking towards a brighter future?
I won’t say ‘Don’t worry’ as everyone worries - it's natural. My main piece of advice would be, when you are comfortable, talk and try to be more open, don’t hide what you have experienced or how it makes you feel. When you are comfortable to share, every word you manage to say about treatment or how it impacted you, makes the next word slightly easier to say, and allows others to better understand you.
Treatment leaves invisible scars, it can be hard to talk about it, but I found talking on Trust trips made it easier to align my thoughts, allowing me to talk to others outside the Trust about what I experienced.