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Most of us can’t imagine what it would be like to have a child we love diagnosed with a serious health challenge, or life-threatening illness. Most of us don’t even want to consider how we would handle it or what we would say to our children, if an adult family member were diagnosed with a serious health challenge or life-threatening illness. Where would we begin? What would we say? How could we make sure that our child or children would be ok?

The truth is, when children facing health challenges are given the support they need, they are extremely resilient and have the innate ability to cope, hope, and heal. The key is recognizing the child’s needs and providing the appropriate types of support that are critical to their development and well-being. Thanks to highly trained professional Child Life Specialists, children and families do not have to face these experiences alone.

Children cope, hope, and heal through their natural desire to play and make sense of the world around them. Child Life Specialist have expertise in child development and family systems, and use the modality of play to provide therapeutic support and to educate children about their own healthcare experiences or those of family members.

The National Cancer Institute estimates that 25% of the 1.4 million adults diagnosed with cancer this year will have children ages 18 or younger.

Research shows that parental illness can profoundly impact a child’s development. Parents who are struggling with their own health and well-being my not know where to begin when considering their child’s needs. Children need age appropriate information to understand why Daddy is too tired to play, or why Mommy has to spend so much time in the hospital, or why Daddy’s medicine makes him grouchy, or why Mommy’s hair is falling out.

Children need reassurance that they did not cause the illness and that they cannot catch it. Most of all children need to be able to express their feelings, have their feelings validated, and know that they will be taken care of. A child should have access to child life services from the initial time of diagnosis throughout treatment, regardless of the outcome.

If a parent dies, it is important that a child have support during the final stages of their parent’s life and throughout their bereavement process. Child Life Specialist recognizes that children re-experience the loss at each new developmental stage and can help children and families with legacy work that will provide parent/child connection forever.

What if the ill family member is the child themselves? Estimates show that as many as 18% of children and adolescents have chronic or acute illnesses that warrant extensive involvement in medical treatment with outcomes that will not necessarily lead to cure (Newacheck 2000).

When a child is seriously ill, it is important that they receive holistic care. Best practice in pediatric healthcare respects the dignity of a child, and allows a child to be a child. Children who are ill are first and foremost children with unique temperaments, personalities, and coping styles. Children require individualized interventions. They often have misconceptions about how and why they got sick and about the treatments they are undergoing. Age appropriate education, respect for the child’s attempts at coping, and the opportunity to play can all help a child master stressful experiences, and heal in remarkable ways.

It is important to recognize the impact that caring for ill children and their families has on healthcare professionals. Compassion and emotional fatigue, and burn-out can be a detriment to individual providers and undermine the systems responsible for healthcare. Personal and team development retreats for healthcare professionals and ongoing education can help to restore a sense of purpose and re-energize healthcare practice.

The Center for Hope and Healing, Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing community based Child Life Services in the Hampton Roads area. The organization provides individual and group therapeutic play sessions for children; psycho-educational groups for adults, and indi-

vidual parent coaching sessions for parents; training/consultation and retreats for healthcare professionals.

The Center for Hope and Healing, Inc. is dependent on donations in order to provide services to children and families. For further information and to find out how you can help contact Co-founder and Executive Director Michele Tryon by Email M.tryon@hopeandhealinginc.com, or telephone 757-705-9284.

Visit the website at www.hopeandhealinginc.com

The Circle of Hope Program – providing therapeutic support to children and families impacted by chronic or life-threatening illness. Program Coordinator - Jeane’ Liburd 757-753-6577

Strengthening Families Program – promoting family-centered care, increasing nurturing parenting, and enhancing holistic care for children and their families faced with health challenges. Program Coordinator - Michele Tryon 757-705-9284