Member's statement: Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
Member's statement by Mrs Deborah Erskine on .
- MLA
- Mrs Deborah Erskine
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 10 September 2024
- Type
- Member's statement
- Business
- Members' Statements
- Heading
- Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4517244
Read the official Assembly record
Text
This month is, obviously, September, but it is also Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, which is an international campaign to support and raise awareness of children and young people who live with cancer. The badge that I wear today marks that month. We can all agree that cancer is a cruel illness that snatches loved ones away from us and, as the Princess of Wales said yesterday, can change life in an instant. It also gives you a new perspective on life. It is a tough journey for those receiving treatment, and, for children and young people, there are extra pressures, such as time away from their social circles, endless trips to the hospital, time out of school and, for many young people, feeling different from their peers. As we all know, it can be tough at that age. I have had personal experience of childhood cancer in my family.
I remember my sister travelling at 6.00 am with my parents to Belfast for hospital appointments. There was huge pressure on my parents. Being a child should be carefree, but it is not the case if parents have a child with cancer.
The health and well-being of children, young people and families is just as important as medical treatment. That is why, today, I publicly thank the charities that supported my family: CLIC Sargent Cancer Care for Children and the Cancer Fund for Children that runs Daisy Lodge in Newcastle. Those charities supported my family during very difficult times. In Daisy Lodge, we had a haven to which we knew that we could go on holiday without the fear of not having anybody who would know what to do if we had a medical emergency, and those who were there knew exactly what we were going through as a family. I pay tribute to our healthcare staff, in particular play therapists, who helped us understand cancer through the lens of play. Children are the future of our society. We often talk about ensuring that children have the best possible start in life, and that is so true when we talk about children who have been struck by an illness. We need to ensure that we fund services appropriately and must take into account that it is not just about tackling the disease but about the educational, social, mental health and family support needs.
392 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.02 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- No identity-based framing was identified (1.00).
- Subject area: Disability (including neurodivergence and mental health), disabled people and disability or sickness benefits.
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.02 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.01 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.01 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.01 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.02 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.41 | No |
| Overall judgement | 0.02 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 1.00 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.00 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Disability (including neurodivergence and mental health), disabled people and disability or sickness benefits | 0.54 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.23 |
| Sexism, misogyny, ageism and other equality groups | 0.21 |
| Gender, sexuality, abortion and related social issues | 0.01 |
| Another identity-related subject | 0.01 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:01 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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