“Take it a breath at a time, step by step”
Kay Hunter Saber’s son, Ramsey, was diagnosed with leukaemia aged 14. She explains how they navigated his treatment and how writing helped her through his journey.
Supporting your child’s wellbeing during cancer treatment
We asked the experts from the Haematology/Oncology Team at Sheffield Children’s Foundation Trust to share tips and advice on small steps that can be taken to support a child’s wellbeing during treatment.
“Choosing your own path gives you a little bit of control when you don’t have much of it”
Abby Maxwell was diagnosed with blood cancer aged 22 in 2023 and shares with us what helped her during her treatment.
“Resilience isn’t about being strong all the time – it’s finding ways to move forward even in the darkest moments”
Stacey Bark’s daughter, Florrie, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia aged five in 2022. Here, Stacey explains how their family navigated cancer and some of the serious complications of Florrie’s treatment and what resilience means to them.
Supporting siblings to build connections with special residential trips
Barretstown in Ireland offers free, specially designed camps and programmes for children living and families living with cancer and other serious illnesses. Here, Siobhan Kavanagh, its Director of Medical and Programme, tells us about their support for siblings.
I’ve learnt so much about the quiet strength of siblings
Elizabeth’s daughter, Sarah, who also has Down syndrome, was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2016, aged 15. Here, she tells us how her youngest daughter, Hannah, then eight, provided support to her sister, and about the challenges of balancing family life while a child is on treatment.
"It was confusing for her, but we did our best to be open and honest”
Rosa Kaminska’s son, George, was diagnosed with T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma in December 2022 aged six. Here, she explains the impact of this on George’s sister, Anna, what helped them as a family during his early treatment, and offers advice to others.
“We know that the immediate family can’t do it all alone and shouldn’t have to”
Rebecca Wood is CEO of Tom’s Trust, a charity that provides psychological support to children with brain tumours and their families. Here, she explains how the charity recognised the need to help families support the brothers and sisters of children with cancer by developing an expert-written sibling toolkit.
Understanding and supporting the sibling experience
When a child or young person is diagnosed with cancer, this is felt across the whole family, and though not undergoing treatment themselves, siblings are often affected in ways that may be less visible but deeply felt. Here, Dr Claire Wright, Clinical Psychologist at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, explains how siblings might feel, and offers tips and advice to help support them.