In this episode I’m joined by Debbie Cullinane to discuss the power of your child's peer relationships.

Debbie is is a qualified child and adolescent psychotherapist and play therapist, mother of 2 and former primary school teacher.Together with Dr. Mairead Brennan  She facilitates our parent workshops.

No matter what age the child is, interacting with their peers can be tricky during/after treatment.

We talk about feeling disconnected, exclude or even  bullied and are there strategies to deal with it.

Debbie helps us understand  why peer relationships can be challenging and what makes them even more challenging during/after childhood cancer? 

And as parents how do we strike the balance between being supportive and too involved.

To help us to continue our services please text GOLD to FIVE ZERO THREE ZERO ZERO and donate €4 or visit childhoodcancer.ie for more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trish Gleeson is the CNS for adolescent and young adult cancer in Galway University Hospital.

Nationally, AYA services are developing thanks to people like Trish who understand the needs and adaptions adolescents and young adults need while fighting cancer. 

This group of 16-24 year olds have unique needs, very different to paediatric but also different to adult.

We talk about teens and social inclusion, young adults and alcohol, fertility and education, 

We talk about the validity of needing to belong while also finding a language for what they are uniquely experiencing.  

And why things like chill out areas being funded by Childhood Cancer Ireland are so important to these AYA hospital centres.

To help us to continue our services please text GOLD to FIVE ZERO THREE ZERO ZERO and donate €4 or visit childhoodcancer.ie for more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We are proud to shine a light on the wonderful care given by LauraLynn Children's Hospice.

I’m joined by Liz O'Donoghue Assistant Director of Nursing at LauraLynn, Ireland's Children's Hospice.

Laura Lynn was founded by Jane and Brendan Mc Kenna in 2001 after their two daughters Laura (4) and Lynn (15) passed away from life limiting conditions, 20 months apart.

As Assistant director of Nursing, Liz joins us to talk about the hospice, the care and the respite it provides. We talk about palliative care and what that actually means for families. And above all - the value of hospice care - wrapping around the entire family.

To help us to continue our services please text GOLD to FIVE ZERO THREE ZERO ZERO and donate €4 or visit childhoodcancer.ie for more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May is brain tumour awareness month.

Brain tumours are the second most common cause of cancer in children in Ireland.

Like a lot of childhood cancers, the symptoms can be varied and can be similar to other childhood illnesses.

Always speak to your GP about any unusual signs and symptoms your child is experiencing.  

In this episode I’m joined by 18 yr old Freya Fitzpatrick and her mum Emma. 

Freya was first diagnosed with medula-blastoma, a brain tumour in March 2018 when she was 12.

She has gone through surgery and numerous rounds of chemo and radiotherapy but her cancer returned in 2022.

We talk a lot about transitions.

The impact of a diagnosis at 12 and missing 1st year.

The impact of a second diagnosis at 16 when her independence should have been taking off. 

And the impact of transitioning out of crumlin and childrens care and being treated as an adult in the health system. 

With some honesty and words of wisdom for other teens going through this.

To help us to continue our services please text GOLD to FIVE ZERO THREE ZERO ZERO and donate €4 or visit childhoodcancer.ie for more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I’m joined by financial advisor Eleanor Murnane.

Her son Theo was diagnosed with neuroblastoma when he was 14 months old.

He's now 6 and doing really well.

We talk about how challenging it is to figure out the financial hurdles of life while caring for a sick child and why she is now giving her time and financial advice for free to families fighting childhood cancer as part of a brand new initiative. 

Childhood Cancer Ireland has teamed up with the LIA (the centre of excellence for the education and development of financial professionals to provide information and advice to help families navigate their way through this difficult time. 

The financial support programme is free of charge, non judgemental and entirely confidential.

You’ll learn more in this episode - and by visiting childhoodcancer.ie

To help us to continue our services please text GOLD to FIVE ZERO THREE ZERO ZERO and donate €4 or visit childhoodcancer.ie for more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joining me today is Dr. Massa Jabra, a doctor in Syria.

Dr. Massa was appointed Childhood Cancer Advocate for SIOP this year.

SIOP is the International Society of Paediatric Oncology where her role is to spread awareness of childhood cancer and SIOP's work to the paediatric oncology community. 

Massa is also involved with BASMA (which means smile in Arabic), a Syrian organisation for children with cancer. She volunteers for psychosocial support for children. She believes that psychosocial support is as necessasry as medical treatment. 

We talk about what led her to become an oncologist, the challenges of care in a conflict zone, public awareness of signs and symptoms and how when survival is your top priority, healthcare becomes more challenging.

Dr. Massa's work is so necessary and exceptional and we thank her for joining us.

To help us to continue our services please text GOLD to FIVE ZERO THREE ZERO ZERO and donate €4 or visit childhoodcancer.ie for more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Karen Dempsey is a celebrant and founder of Entheos a supportive service that can walk alongside families when marking an occasion or a loss.

When it comes to funerals, Karen wants to normalise the conversation.

She understands how important it is for people to know that they have choices.

They have permission to be creative and design a ceremony that is meaningful and right for the person they are cherishing. 

We talk about how as a nurse she recognised the need for a more human compassionate support to step in and hold people through their loss.

We talk about how ceremonies can be fun and bright and full of life,

why ceremonies are so good for our souls and

how she encourages anyone who missed out during covid to plan one now with the people who should have been there.

To help us to continue our services please text GOLD to FIVE ZERO THREE ZERO ZERO and donate €4 or visit childhoodcancer.ie for more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trigger Warning: This episode discusses the loss of a child to cancer.

If you have been impacted by the loss of a child, you will find information, resources and support at Anam Cara, an organisation which supports parents after bereavement. They also have information for siblings, grandparents and other family members, which may be helpful.

Carmel O’Mahony gave birth to her first baby Zoe 2016

When Zoe was nearly 3 and a half, Carmel's maternal instinct told her that this new tiredness and vomiting was something more serious. 

It was ATRT, a very rare tumour with a 40% chance of survival. 

Surgery, chemo and proton therapy followed - but zoe relapsed in March 2020

They had a beautiful spring together as a family but Zoe’s fight would end quickly in June less than a year after diagnosis..

Zoe loved Crumlin and Crumlin loved Zoe.The whole corridor was lined with staff as a guard of honour. We talk about grief and spirit.

About her little life and the huge impact she made. 

And we talk about the courage it takes to continue after losing a child.

***

Please text GOLD to 50300 and donate €4 or visit childhoodcancer.ie for more.

Childhood Cancer Ireland is a charity founded by and led by parents of children with cancer who know that one of the greatest sources of strength for this fight, is conversation.

As a non-government funded organisation, Childhood Cancer Ireland values every single donation.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joining me today is Aoife Moggan.

Aoife was diagnosed with a rare spinal cancer when she was 13.

6 Spinal surgeries and cancer treatment later - aoife is in her 30’s and survived childhood cancer but experiences longterm effects including chronic pain, reliance on high dose painkillers, loss of power in her leg and even a paralysed vocal chord. 

She now advocates for other survivors - for joined up thinking, access to care and late effects clinics, sharing medical records, a multidisciplinary team often just to get answers. This episode celebrates fighting cancer - but it also acknowledges that people expect you to be your old self - you expect you to be your old self but survivorship means so much more than that.

To get involved in team ireland - click here https://m.facebook.com/p/Team-Ireland-100068621974067/

https://beatcancer.eu/

To help us to continue our services please text GOLD to FIVE ZERO THREE ZERO ZERO and donate €4 or visit childhoodcancer.ie for more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joining me today is Jenny Forde to share Marlie’s story.

Marlie is a bright and happy little girl doing so well after going through so much. 

In 2021 when Marlie was 3 and a half she was diagnosed with a malignant Grade 4  brain tumour and endured several life saving surgeries and treatments. Jenny takes us thorugh her early symptoms, a mothers intuition, the impact on the wider family and the processing of the trauma after the fight is done. 

This is a beautiful and compassionate episode full of enduring gratitude and hope.

To join our parent workshops in 2024 - find out more on our website

To help us to continue our services please text GOLD to FIVE ZERO THREE ZERO ZERO and donate €4 or visit childhoodcancer.ie for more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.