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Conference Programme

CAYAS CONFERENCE

The 2024 CAYAS conference returns for its fourth year this October on Saturday, 5th October in Croke Park in Dublin. Hosted by Childhood Cancer Ireland and CanTeen Ireland, the Childhood, Adolescent, Young Adult Cancers & Survivorship Conference (CAYAS) highlights the lived experience of parents, families, patients, and survivors by providing them with a platform to collaborate and connect with medical experts, health care researchers, and others.

Who Am I Now

This year our theme is Who Am I Now.

We explore how cancer has impacted our identities, not only as the child or young person with cancer, but also as survivors, parents and siblings.

Our MC for the day is Ciara Kennedy, Clinic Nurse Specialist at CHI at Crumlin, with a special interest in survivorship.

The programme will commence with an inspiring keynote – more to follow on that soon! During the morning session, we will hear updates on various developments over the last 12 months in the area ofchildhood, adolescent and young adult cancerincluding advocacy, survivorship, psycho-social supportsand adolescent and young adult services.

Attendees will have the opportunity to contribute to an interactive workshop, with questions posed under the theme of Who Am I Now.

The afternoon programme will begin with a moment of remembrance, before delegates attend a workshop of their choice. There will be something for everyone, whether you are a young person living with or beyond cancer, a sibling, a parent or you are working in health care, research, advocacy or a charity working in the sector.

This year, for the first time, there is a workshop specifically for siblings. We listened to your feedback from last year, when you told us that you’d like a dedicated space for young people and a space for siblings and we are delighted to be able to offer interactive content that will engage both of these groups.

CAYAS 2024 Programme Content

TimeProgramme
9.00Registration
9:55Keynote Address

More information to come!
10.10 Updates and progress from 2023

  • Using your voice as a patient advocate

  • Aoife Moggan, childhood cancer survivor and advocate

  • Developing a Smart Care app for survivors of childhood, adolescent and young adult cancer.

  • Jack Latteur, EU Projects Officer at the European Cancer Organisation

  • Developing psychosocial programmes

  • Laura Cullinan, Childhood Cancer Ireland

  • The development of Adolescent and Young Adult Services in University Hospital Galway

    Patricia Gleeson, Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialist, University Hospital Galway

  • The National Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer multi-disciplinary meeting- live! A panel discussion

  • OR


  • Finding the right story to tell, with The Dublin Story Slam

  • A workshop for adolescents and young adults with cancer and survivors of childhood cancer age 14+

11.30Coffee break
12.00Who Am I Now?
Round-table discussion for all
13.00Lunch
14.00Breakout workshops

AYAs / survivors age 14+

Body image during and after childhood, adolescent and young adult cancer, with Bodywhys


Siblings age 14+

Finding the right story to tell, with The Dublin Story Slam


Parents

Who am I now as a parent?, with Dr Mairead Brennan


Healthcare & charities

Supporting Families and Young People through Cancer-Related Fatigue - a panel discussion.
15.50Closing remarks
16.00Conference closes

CAYAS 24 Programme Committee

We are very grateful for the time and expertise of our programme committee, who have supported the development of this year’s programme and lent their time generously. Our programme committee is comprised of a mix of clinicians, parents and survivors, helping to ensure that our content is varied, with the patient voice always at the centre.

  • • Laura Cullinan, CEO of Childhood Cancer Ireland and parent of a survivor

  • • Evelyn Griffith, Manager of CanTeen Ireland

  • • Patricia McColgan, Voluntary Director of Childhood Cancer Ireland and parent of a survivor

  • • Charlene O’Callaghan, parent of a survivor

  • • Aoife Moggan, childhood / adolescent cancer survivor and advocate

  • • Avril Deegan, childhood cancer survivor and survivorship researcher

  • • Professor Michael Capra, Consultant Paediatric Oncologist, CHI at Crumlin

  • • Dr Scheryll Alken, Consultant in Adolescent & Young Adult Cancer at Children’s Health Ireland/St James’s Hospital

  • • Ciara Kennedy, Clinical Nurse Specialist with an interest in survivorship, CHI at Crumlin

  • • Caireann McDonnell, Adolescent and Young Adult Social Worker, CHI at Crumlin and St. James’s Hospital

    • • Dorothy Thomas, Patient Engagement Manager, National Cancer Control Programme