By: Michael Terao, MD, FAAP & Mary Jane Hogan, MD, MPH, FAAP

If you are reading this, you are a parent or someone who cares for a child or teenager recently diagnosed with cancer. Having a child of any age diagnosed with cancer is an upsetting experience. We would like to provide you with information to help support you through this difficult time.

All feelings are valid. Hope is an important part of coping. But hope can mean many things. Some parents focus on hope for the day, such as hoping that their child has a good day. Some parents focus on longer-term hope, such as hope that their child will one day be cured. Hope can change during cancer treatment.

Try to find both little and big things to hope for. Focus on keeping that hope by sharing it with your child, family, friends, and your child’s medical care team so that they can share their hopes with you.

Guilt. Some parents blame themselves for not catching the cancer sooner, or for their child having cancer. Other parents feel guilty for not being able to do more to alleviate their child’s suffering. Cancer is not any person’s fault. The causes of cancer are complicated. Typically, cancer is only detectable when there are enough cancer cells to cause symptoms, so it is hard to find cancer before cancer appears.

Discuss these feelings with your family, friends, your child’s doctor, or even your own doctor. It’s also important that you find ways to take care of yourself so that you can stay strong and support your child through these challenging times.

Should you have any questions or concerns, give our office a call at 866-595-5113