An Introduction to the Club you Never Asked to Join

When a young person is diagnosed with cancer in New Zealand, they are inundated with informative books, guides, brochures and pamphlets. These are typically either resources from the UK or Australia, which means that while some of the information is helpful, they are often not relevant to New Zealand or to the hospital where the patient is being treated. Many of these informative materials are sterile and filled with complicated information that is difficult for a newly diagnosed patient to digest. This is a journal made specifically for female cancer patients aged between 16-26 years, who are being treated at Auckland City Hospital. It not only contains the information nobody tells you, but also acts as a unique journal that supports a patient from diagnosis through to recovery, and then transitions into a keepsake. The journal is made for patients to use, abuse and enjoy, written from one patient to another. This is ‘an introduction to the club you never asked to join.’