Hi there and thanks for your letter.
It sounds like there is a lot on your mind that is worrying you at the moment so I’m really glad you have decided to contact me. Hearing that someone close has cancer can be a very scary and confusing time. This is a time when you need people around to support you, so having these bullies make things harder for you sounds very difficult to cope with.
One of the hardest things about finding out someone is ill can be not knowing what to expect, or being unsure about what might happen in the future. It might be, that at the moment, you have a lot of questions and that’s natural. What would it be like to talk to an adult that you trust about the way that you feel and some of the things that make you feel scared? It sounds like your auntie is having treatment for her cancer at the moment, as one of the symptoms of the treatment is the loss of hair. You might find that your auntie has other symptoms too, which might mean some changes for her. This can have an impact on the whole family, which can make things seem really hard for everyone.
You say that people are bullying you because of what’s happening, and I would like you to know that what they are doing is wrong and it is not something you should have to put up with. It sounds like what this girl has said to you has really scared and worried you, and what she has said is very serious, as no one has the right to make you feel worried about dying. What would it be like to speak to a teacher about what she has been saying? Your school has a duty to protect you while you are at school and they should help you to stay safe while you are there.
It's really great that you have decided to get in touch, but you can also talk to a Childline counsellor. This would give you the chance to talk through the bullying and the worries you have about your auntie in a lot more detail. You can contact them on the phone, 0800 1111 which is free from all UK phones and will not show up on your bill, or you can create an account and contact ChildLine by email or by having a 1-2-1 online chat to talk this through.
Take care and bye for now,
Sam