Offering Support ‘On Her Terms’: Kate Middleton’s Brother Opens Up About How The Family Helped During The Princess of Wales’ Cancer Battle

“For her and her family, it was a challenging time, and I know for us and our bigger family, it was a challenging time,” he explained. “But I think it’s about communication and it’s about offering support and help where you can.

“Being there for someone is such an important part, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be on your terms, and it shouldn’t be on your terms,” he continued. “It should be on their terms — unconditional. ‘I’m not doing it for something in return; I’m doing it because I love you.'”

James added that in his sister’s case, one of the ways their family demonstrated love was to just be there for the Princess of Wales.

Kate, 43, first went public with her cancer diagnosis in March 2024. Though she did not disclose what type of cancer she had, she did disclose that she had undergone chemotherapy — and completed treatment in September.

 

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The Power Of A Solid Support System

Over the years, countless cancer survivors have told SurvivorNet about how important it is to have a solid support system in your corner when facing cancer. That may include a close family member or friend who takes on the role of caregiver, support groups for patients, and more.

If you’re struggling emotionally, mental health professionals can also be critical parts of a support system.

Dr. Lori Plutchik shares advice for finding the cancer support system you need.

“Some people don’t need to go outside of their family and friend’s circle. They feel like they have enough support there,” psychiatrist Dr. Lori Plutchik told SurvivorNet in a previous conversation.

“But for people who feel like they need a little bit more, it’s important to reach out to a mental health professional,” Dr. Plutchik added.

She also stressed it is important for people supporting cancer warriors to understand their emotions can vary day-to-day.

“People can have a range of emotions — they can include fear, anger — and these emotions tend to be fluid. They can recede and return based on where someone is in the process,” Dr. Plutchik said.

Mental health professionals are not the only medical experts who can help patients deal with the emotional burden during the cancer journey, either. Many patients turn to patient navigators.

A patient navigator can help a patient in a myriad of ways — this may include helping to navigate diagnosis, treatment,  finances, getting to and from follow-up care, and more. This extra support can be invaluable when your mind is busy processing so many emotions and new information.

Dr. Kathie-Ann Joseph explains how patient navigators can help.

“Patient navigators can function differently at different hospitals,” Dr. Kathie-Ann Joseph, a surgical oncologist at NYU Langone Health’s Perlmutter Cancer Center, told SurvivorNet. “We have a really wonderful program at [NYU] where we used lay navigators, meaning they’re not nurses — although you can also use nurses or social workers — that pretty much help newly diagnosed cancer patients through the continuum of care.”

These navigators can meet with patients from their first doctors appointments, and can also:

• Attend appointments
• Provide an assessment for next steps of care
• Assist with housing, transportation or immigration issues
• Help with financial issues
• Provide direction on legal issues

“They really will help them get through these barriers that we think could impact their care,” Dr. Joseph added. “Because the goal is we want them to complete their care.”

Check out our related content on how social workers can help during the cancer treatment process.

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