When Emilie Adlide lost both her parents to pancreatic cancer as a teenager she turned to a support group for young Australians touched by the disease.
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Now, as a future board member of CanTeen and a 22-year-old law student, she is determined to double the outreach of the charity by 2017.
CanTeen marked its 30th anniversary this week by calling for public assistance to support the 23,000 young people either diagnosed with cancer themselves, or affected by a diagnosis in their family.
"When cancer crashes into a young person's world it forces them to grow up too fast and weighs them down with worries they're not supposed to have yet," CanTeen chief executive Peter Orchard said.
"That's why young people facing the challenge of their own or a close family member's cancer are six times more likely to experience high levels of psychological distress, which can lead to long term mental health issues such as anxiety or depression."
Ms Adlide said she became a member of CanTeen in late 2009 shortly before her mother died. Her father had died four years earlier from the same disease.
"My mum was given an informational booklet about CanTeen from the hospital and I attended my first event just before she died but didn't get involved until later that year," she said.
"I was able to speak with a counsellor a little later on and from there I have been heavily involved and came through as a leader of sorts."
Ms Adlide said her involvement with CanTeen built her resilience, confidence and desire to help others. She encouraged teenagers to get involved at their own pace.
"Give it a go because there is never any pressure to do anything you don't want to and CanTeen is made up of inspiring young people who will welcome you with open arms," she said.
But Associate Professor Pandora Patterson, general manager of research and youth cancer services at CanTeen, said many young people were unlikely to ever ask for help.
"While they tend to feel incredibly isolated and alone, young people often don't acknowledge their own need for support," she said.
"Many are focused on their family member's cancer and don't want to add to the burden with their feelings of anxiety or fear."
Ms Adlide said CanTeen was going through a process of reinvention and she was determined to use her leadership role in the charity to focus on supporting young people.
"We need to make sure that CanTeen is an organisation that young people will identify with for decades to come in order to ensure we're reaching as many young people affected by cancer as possible with vital support", Mr Orchard said.
