"It can be extremely isolating" - Sunderland supermarket worker diagnosed with brain cancer aged 19

Jake Adams, 21 from Houghton-le-Spring was diagnosed with brain cancer aged 19 while studying sports journalism at University of Sunderland

The student has since undergone chemotherapy and radiotherapy to remove the tumour and has shared ‘the need’ for support from friends and family after being diagnosed as a teenager.

Jake, who works at Sainsburys in Washington, says having the support of others helped him through intensive chemotherapy and treatment.

He said: “I was in state of shock when I diagnosed but I grew to accept it and started to focus on getting rid of it.

"It was hard telling people that I had cancer because people just didn’t know what to say and it was difficult for friends to know what to talk to me about.”

During treatment the Arsenal football fan met another cancer patient through Twitter after sharing some advice on chemotherapy he was undergoing.

He said: “I met Ash through social media and we ended up having loads in common, he lives in Stevenage but also supports Arsenal.

"I didn’t realise how essential is was to be able to talk to someone going through the same thing, we supported each other through treatment – It was nice to have someone who fully understood.”

After undergoing treatment during the pandemic Jake, who attended Biddick Academy received the news in September that he is ‘tumour free’.

Jake, who has been gifted a named plaque at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium added: “It can be extremely isolating, particularly through the pandemic as I had to attend appointments alone at a young age but I can’t thank my family and friends enough for supporting me through a really difficult period of my life.”

The supermarket worker is now supporting a new Teenage Cancer Trust campaign by sharing his experiences and tips on how to be a good friend to someone with cancer.

He said: “Anyone watching their friend go through something like cancer should ask how their friend is feeling, create conversations and try to get them to open up.

“The support I’ve received from the Teenage Cancer Trust has been fantastic and I can’t thank them enough.”

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