Raising A Child With Cancer – A Unique Journey
“Cancer in children is not preventable, meaning rapid diagnosis and access to high-quality care are critical for a positive outcome”, WHO 2023
The journey between illness, diagnosis and treatment is long, draining and challenging in every way. From a parent’s perspective. It is an expensive process financially, physically, and emotionally. Indeed, it is a lonely and trying time. Generally, no responsibilities can be put off until the child is better. There is work, other children, and family who also demand attention. The family often wishes to assist but doesn’t know how. The parents often wish for assistance, but frequently they don’t know how to help. Occupational therapy aims to ensure that the child has a childhood that is as close to normal as possible, considering the child’s health status and the family dynamic. The ability can facilitate coping and living for the child and the caregiver. To provide a child who is going through cancer treatment with a good quality of life through ensuring activity participation, the following factorsare crucial
- Contextual factors: What is the reality of the child? How can it impact the therapy process
- Psychological factors: what aspect must one address before engaging the child? What are the child’s aspirations
- Health factors: is the child strong enough to complete the task?
While parents and children experience a lot of stress and complex emotions, both show an enormous level of resilience based on a positive attitude and a fighter spirit. As occupational
therapists, our role with the multidisciplinary team is to
- promoting functional independence—keeping life as close to normal as possible, maintaining the ability to manage aspects of one’s intimate life like taking care of oneself, going to school, working, keeping friends, and doing important things.
- Fostering psychosocial well-being in individuals affected by cancer. Because attention is on the child with cancer, siblings and parents are often silent sufferers. There is a need to
help, especially siblings, to continue seeing the person, the individual, and the personality and connect with the cancer patient. This builds a support network based on relationships rather than a sick role. It relieves stressful emotions in both the patient and siblings. My message to parents: I would like to acknowledge how frustrating it is to juggle all these challenges and feel like one is not doing enough. I want to encourage you by saying that
Guest: Guest: Ms Aluwani Manenzhe - Occupational Therapist President of Occupational Therapy Association of South Africa (OTASA)
