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How Can I Help A Family Dealing With Childhood Cancer?

 

The open ended offer to a family of “call if you need anything” is genuine, but puts the responsibility on them to make the effort to reach out. They have little energy and are stressed about everything. Help them by offering to do something specific.

 

Ways to support the child with cancer

  • Send cards, stickers, jokes, emails, photos, etc

  • Draw pictures to decorate their room

  • Make brief visits to the hospital (the child might be tried and irritable from their treatments)

  • Give a journal or drawing book. If they don’t want to talk they can express themselves in their journal

  • Visit the hospital and bring something fun like bubbles, silly string, funny videos, tattoos, stickers or games

  • Bring a favorite snack to the child when they are able to eat (call before you visit and ask for snack requests)

  • Gifts:  Books, games, movies, pajamas, or video games

  • If the patient is a teen offer to drive their friends to the hospital to visit (they have to be healthy to visit)

  • Blood and bone marrow donations are often appreciated and could help another with cancer

 

 

 

 

 

Ways to support siblings

  • Introduce them by their own name, not their relation to the child with cancer. For example call them “Tyler”, not Tim’s brother.

  • Ask siblings how they are doing or how school is and listen

  • Help them have a life outside of cancer. Don’t ask them for a medical report.

  • Ask and listen to how they are feeling and coping in their life. The time with their parents is limited (some might not want to talk)

  • Give them a journal or drawing book. If they don’t want to talk they can express themselves in their journal.

  • Send fun email, cards, stickers, jokes, photos, etc

  • Invite them to your house for a meal or to be a part of your family activities

  • Offer to help with homework, drive them to sports or school activities, or attend a school activity with them

  • Lots of praise, gifts, special activities, etc

  • Try to understand the sibling’s feelings as they deal with childhood cancer in their family.

  • Encourage them to reach out to someone who will support them

  • Acknowledge the sibling’s accomplishments

 

Ways to support parents

  • Set up a communication system to hear updates on the child so the parents don’t have to repeat the same details over and over again.

  • Understand that the parent may not want to take phone calls in the hospital. The child can hear all the phone conversations in the room

  • Send email, cards, letters, photos, even videotapes. If you don’t hear from the parents, contact them

  • Realize that sometimes parents need to talk about cancer and need a hand to hold. Other times they need to talk about other things

  • Make visits brief and cheerful

  • Offer to give the parent a break from the hospital room

  • Offer to give parents time to be with their other children.

  • Grocery shop for the family at home

  • Prepare and deliver food to their home or the hospital.

  • Care for family pets

  • Offer to do household chores

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