Playing cards designed by young cancer patients with the Youth Project in Milan

Abstract

This short piece briefly describes a creative project undertaken by a group of adolescent and young adult cancer patients as part of our Youth Project (a scheme dedicated to young cancer patients with the dual aim of optimizing medical aspects of their care and promoting a holistic approach to their needs, including the organization of artistic activities). In this project, young cancer patients designed their personalized playing cards, with kings receiving chemo, queens wearing bandanas, jacks dressed as nurses, and jokers as doctors. The playing cards, with the patients’ own words, contain a little bit of these young cancer patients’ stories in them.

“As if by magic”: Young cancer patients become magician's apprentices, finding magic in their lives again during their hospital treatments

“…A distinctive feature of the Youth Project has always been to offer young patients a chance to engage in creative and artistic activities as a novel means of self‐expression. Over the years, the projects developed have variously focused on music, photography, fashion, novel writing, and video productions 2–13 …”

Of soldiers and heroes

“…Various publications have described how adolescents with cancer tell their stories in creative projects developed within the Milan Youth Project. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7] This letter gives us a chance to share what we learnt from the words of one of our young patients.…”

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Dear Editor,Various publications have described how adolescents with cancer tell their stories in creative projects developed within the Milan Youth Project. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7] This letter gives us a chance to share what we learnt from the words of one of our young patients.'When talking about young cancer patients, people often use the metaphor of soldiers, heroes fighting a war against the disease. It is a metaphor that I personally dislike' -S, a 17-year-old boy receiving treatment for Ewing sarcoma, told us -'I think it aims to convey the general idea that anyone battling with a tumor at this age must have great strength and great courage, which is often true.

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Blooming in the rain

“…In particular, the Youth Project organizes creative and artistic activities that give patients special ways to express themselves more freely, to talk about their hopes and fears. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7] M.'s poem well describes the destabilizing effect that cancer can have on a young person's life, a disruptive trauma at a time when they are beginning to find their place in the world. M. explains his words at a Youth Project meeting with his companions on the ward:…”

“…In particular, the Youth Project organizes creative and artistic activities that give patients special ways to express themselves more freely, to talk about their hopes and fears. 1-7…”