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.
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.
Colette Robinson-Mellor's daughter, Hollie, was diagnosed with an eye cancer, called retinoblastoma, aged 13 months in 2024. Here, Colette tells us how Hollie’s brother, Ted, who was four at the time of his sister’s diagnosis, helped and supported the whole family, and how they also navigated his own worries.
Evie Mattison was nine years old when her brother, Dan, was diagnosed with leukaemia as a teenager in 2014. Here, she describes what helped her during Dan’s treatment, and how her family’s experiences have shaped her life, studies and ambitions.
There’s no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to supporting siblings of children and young people with cancer. There are, however, key components of support that can make a big difference to siblings, which we’ve established through listening to the voices of siblings* themselves.
Senior Family Support Practitioner at the Child and Family Support Service within Diana Children’s Community Service in Leicestershire.
PROJECT TITLE: Twin-based models for more effective treatment of childhood leukaemia LEAD INVESTIGATOR: Professor Alex Thompson INSTITUTION: University of Nottingham AWARD: Approx. £95,000 (funded by The Little Princess Trust and administered by CCLG)
Andy Calvert’s daughter Keira was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2022 aged 14. Andy tells us how the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust has supported both her and her younger siblings, Hayley, Aden and Andrew, with their sailing and adventure trips.
Gill Thaxter's daughter, Lisa, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma when she was 10 years old in 1992 and sadly died aged 12. Here, Gill tells us about the impact this had on Lisa’s sister, Rebecca, and how communication has been key to supporting each other.
