Parents and guardians of children with cancer face a long and tough journey from diagnosis to recovery.
So says Anina Meiring, national manager of childhood cancer services for the Cancer Association of South Africa (Cansa). “Not only do they need to be emotional pillars of strength for the children,” she explained, “but they also need to understand the treatment plan and find ways in which the children can cope through this challenging time.”
These challenges were again highlighted on International Childhood Cancer Day on Thursday 15 February.
Cansa understands that parents with children who have cancer go through extremely challenging and overwhelming times. When a child receives a diagnosis of cancer parents must understand the treatment plan and its potential impact on the child’s daily life and the family. This understanding can help them cope and start planning for the future.
A mother who was recently helped said: “It helped a lot when the treating team explained the cancer treatment to me in a way I could understand. I had to learn to ask for help, which I receive particularly from Cansa Tough Living with Cancer (TLC). Looking after yourself is also very important. It’s important to spoil yourself sometimes, even if it is just for a short while.”
The organisation knows only too well how children’s cancer diagnosis can be overwhelming and has launched an additional support resource to its TLC programme. The online programme, which costs a nominal R270, focuses on brain profiling for parents and their children, aged 4 to 9 years, who have been diagnosed with cancer.
“Brain profiling provides parents and guardians with a deep understanding of the children’s thinking preferences, decision-making processes, communication styles and relationship-building approaches,” explained Meiring. “The resulting report from the online assessment provides insights into why the child may communicate, play and learn differently.”
These insights will help to enhance parents and guardians’ connection with the children and support their well-being throughout their cancer journey.
Interested parents and guardians can simply go to https://qkt.io/TLCBrainProfile to sign up and pay for the brain profiling programme on the secure Quicket platform. They will receive a detailed report outlining the child patient’s unique thinking preferences and communication styles within five working days of completing the online assessment.
This is a non-intrusive, non-threatening process that may be completed in the comfort of their own homes. The insights the programme delivers will empower parents and their child to thrive through the journey to recovery.
“It’s usual for parents or guardians to feel overwhelmed by the information about their child’s cancer, treatment options and procedures involved,” Meiring added. “However, with the right support and guidance parents can navigate this challenging time and provide their child with the care and love they need. By remaining strong and resilient parents can impart hope and courage in their child and the whole family.”
Cansa’s TLC programme offers children with cancer and their parents or guardians and families several services and offerings to help them cope with the challenges of living with the dreaded disease. These include physical, spiritual, psychological, social and general well-being methods of support.
