Going back to school can be scary for both you and your child, but it’s important for their mental wellbeing. It helps them to feel ‘normal’ and lessens the isolation and loneliness which many children with cancer face. It gives structure to their day, a focus on the future and is where they can learn and develop social skills and make friends.
Kerry Brown, mum to Felix who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) in 2016, explains how her family navigated the challenges of Felix’s education during treatment
Leukaemia, lockdown and learning… Vicky Newman, whose daughter Alexandra has leukaemia, writes on how lockdown actually helped to reduce gaps in Alex’s education and the isolation she had felt previously when away from school.
Senior Academic Consultant at University of York, Consultant Paediatric Oncologist at Leeds Children’s Hospital and CCLG member
Penelope Hart-Spencer, Health Play Specialist at The Christie Hospital, tells us about the development of ‘Anna loses her hair’. The award-winning CCLG publication helps educate children on hair loss during cancer treatment.
As part of Cat Macleod’s role as a Young Lives vs Cancer social worker, she helps families plan and access trips and holidays while their child is on treatment. She explains the positive impact these breaks can have, and things to consider beforehand.
Eating well during treatment is really important as a well-nourished child is able to cope better with their treatment and fight infection. It will also help their body repair healthy body tissues that have been damaged by chemotherapy or radiotherapy. By Louise Henry, Paediatrics Senior Specialist Dietitian at Royal Marsden
Emily Zobel Marshall describes some of the choices her family made after her daughter, Rose, was diagnosed with leukaemia in March 2018
Josh Hill was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) in September 2004. Now 21, he tells us how he chooses to allow his experiences to drive what he does, rather than control him.
