Talking cancer
When it comes to your child’s cancer, no topic is taboo
When a child has cancer, you are told things you wish you didn’t have to hear, but there are also many things left unsaid. Having real conversations is what we do best, and we invite you to join us.
This time is often filled with some of the hardest conversations of your life, a whirlwind of information, and new people.
We don’t know what causes childhood cancers. Nothing you or anyone else did caused your child’s cancer and nothing could have prevented it. It’s not fair, but it’s not your fault.
Guilt is a really common feeling for parents. Telling someone to not feel guilty won’t make that feeling magically disappear, but talking about it can help.
While it can feel isolating, you’re not alone with cancer. We will listen, respect and respond to you and your family, wherever you are.
You will meet many other families on the ward. Because the treatment for most childhood cancers is long and intense, many of these families get to know and support each other. Some form friendships that last long after their child’s treatment is over.
Know that there is nothing you did or didn’t do that caused it. You face a hard road but you don’t have to feel alone. There are wonderful groups of parents all over the country – like the ones Redkite runs that have parents that get it and that are there to hold you up.
Be kind on yourself. If your house isn’t clean or your lawn isn’t mowed it’s okay. And never EVER measure your okay against someone worse than you. Your kid has cancer! If there is any time in your life to humbly accept the generous and gracious help others offer it is now. Not just for you, but it will ease your burden to allow you to support your kids. Swallow your pride, say yes ❤️
Resources for you
How to be a supportive friend to parents of a child with cancer
From diagnosis to end of treatment and beyond, parents and carers looking after a child with cancer often have limited time to socialise, however, you can play an important role in helping to keep some normality in their lives.
How to be a supportive friend to parents of a child with cancer
From diagnosis to end of treatment and beyond, parents and carers looking after a child with cancer often have limited time to socialise, however, you can play an important role in helping to keep some normality in their lives.
‘Forgotten children’ – the experience of siblings and how you can help
Siblings of children with cancer can experience a lot of change in their life and be directly affected emotionally and socially by their brother or sisters’ diagnosis. We take a look at how you can help.
‘Forgotten children’ – the experience of siblings and how you can help
Siblings of children with cancer can experience a lot of change in their life and be directly affected emotionally and socially by their brother or sisters’ diagnosis. We take a look at how you can help.
Emotions and cancer: Coping tips for parents
Parents and carers of children diagnosed with cancer often experience stress, overwhelm and uncertainty throughout the cancer experience. Here are our tips for coping with strong emotions during this challenging time.
Emotions and cancer: Coping tips for parents
Parents and carers of children diagnosed with cancer often experience stress, overwhelm and uncertainty throughout the cancer experience. Here are our tips for coping with strong emotions during this challenging time.
Talking to children about cancer when a child they know has been diagnosed
This resource is for adults who would like to explain childhood cancer to the children they care for who are aged 8-12. The resource includes age-appropriate answers for common questions children have.
Talking to children about cancer when a child they know has been diagnosed
This resource is for adults who would like to explain childhood cancer to the children they care for who are aged 8-12. The resource includes age-appropriate answers for common questions children have.
How books can help children with their emotions
Mum of two, Fiona, shares how books became a useful resource for her family to talk about childhood cancer throughout her daughter’s diagnosis and treatment.
How books can help children with their emotions
Mum of two, Fiona, shares how books became a useful resource for her family to talk about childhood cancer throughout her daughter’s diagnosis and treatment.
Childhood cancer: A father’s perspective
Depending on their role, each person in a family is affected by childhood cancer differently. This article outlines some of the common experiences dads can face during their child’s cancer experience.
Childhood cancer: A father’s perspective
Depending on their role, each person in a family is affected by childhood cancer differently. This article outlines some of the common experiences dads can face during their child’s cancer experience.
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Every child’s treatment looks different. The most common treatments are chemotherapy, surgery and radiation. Many children have a combination of all three, but others may only have one. There are other treatments as well like bone marrow transplants, stem cell therapy and immunotherapy. These aren’t as common and are often used for certain cancers.
There are different phases of treatment. Your child may stay in hospital for some weeks, and then you may be on maintenance treatment for several years. Both of these have their own challenges. The hospital where your child receives treatment might be hundreds of kilometres away from family and friends. At home, not only are you juggling having a child on treatment, doctors appointments and unexpected trips to the emergency department, but also everyday life; school, work, other children.
There’s lots of ups and downs, and it can be exhausting. It’s normal and okay to feel overwhelmed.
I wish I had known that the end of the intensive treatment phase (leukaemia) isn’t necessarily the end of the “hard part”, that the full treatment program (2 years) is a marathon and not a sprint and you need to conserve mental energy for after intensive is over. I’m sorry if I’m rambling but the point is that I was so looking forward to finishing intensive and ‘going home’ but that had its own challenges too.
Despite the best efforts of any medical team, cancer cells sometimes survive treatment and reappear. This is called a relapse or recurrence.
It’s what parents fear every time they take their child for a blood test or a scan. Hearing this news is devastating. Relapse doesn’t mean your child had the wrong treatment, that they did something wrong. It’s nobody’s fault.
Having gone through treatment before, you know what to expect. This can be both positive and negative. You know the language, the people, and what strategies work for you, but you also know what’s ahead of you. It might feel like you put everything into treatment the first time, and now you’re exhausted.
Resources for you
How books can help children with their emotions
Mum of two, Fiona, shares how books became a useful resource for her family to talk about childhood cancer throughout her daughter’s diagnosis and treatment.
How books can help children with their emotions
Mum of two, Fiona, shares how books became a useful resource for her family to talk about childhood cancer throughout her daughter’s diagnosis and treatment.
Finance tips from parents of kids with cancer
Financial tips from parents and families for getting through their child’s cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Finance tips from parents of kids with cancer
Financial tips from parents and families for getting through their child’s cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Self-care during childhood cancer: what other parents say
Parents have shared their top tips for looking after your mental health when your child has been diagnosed with cancer.
Self-care during childhood cancer: what other parents say
Parents have shared their top tips for looking after your mental health when your child has been diagnosed with cancer.
In hospital and at home: Tips for families this holiday season
No matter what the holiday season looks like for your family, here are some ideas that may help you through this time of year.
In hospital and at home: Tips for families this holiday season
No matter what the holiday season looks like for your family, here are some ideas that may help you through this time of year.
myRedkite User Guide for families
Resources myRedkite User Guide for families The myRedkite portal allows families to access the services they need, whenever they need…
myRedkite User Guide for families
Resources myRedkite User Guide for families The myRedkite portal allows families to access the services they need, whenever they need…
How to help family and friends provide meaningful support
A case study about how effective KiteCrew is in providing meaningful support to families facing childhood cancer
How to help family and friends provide meaningful support
A case study about how effective KiteCrew is in providing meaningful support to families facing childhood cancer
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The end of treatment is the milestone most families have been looking forward to since the diagnosis. Many families choose to celebrate this moment, but for many, there’s also lots of mixed feelings. Whatever you’re feeling: relief, guilt, anger, grief- these are normal.
Even after treatment ends, normal can still seem very far away. Wanting to have everything back the way it was before cancer is completely understandable. Everyone is changed by their experience. Many people also talk about struggling with the expectations of others who want them to be their old selves.
Treatment ending can bring a whole new range of worries and emotions. Instead of worrying about treatment, now people are worrying about the cancer returning. One day your child was taking chemo which kept them healthy and saved their life, the next they’re not.
It doesn’t mean going back to ‘normal’
Off treatment doesn’t mean it’s the end of tests, scans and check ups.
It means it’s the end of chemo/radiation/immunotherapy etc it doesn’t mean back to normal or healthy immune system, it means a new way of life and a few bumps along the way.
Resources for you
Post cancer treatment: It’s not always a celebration
It’s natural to think that once cancer treatment is over, the child is in the clear and it’s time for celebration. For the family, that is not always the case.
Post cancer treatment: It’s not always a celebration
It’s natural to think that once cancer treatment is over, the child is in the clear and it’s time for celebration. For the family, that is not always the case.
How to be a supportive friend to parents of a child with cancer
From diagnosis to end of treatment and beyond, parents and carers looking after a child with cancer often have limited time to socialise, however, you can play an important role in helping to keep some normality in their lives.
How to be a supportive friend to parents of a child with cancer
From diagnosis to end of treatment and beyond, parents and carers looking after a child with cancer often have limited time to socialise, however, you can play an important role in helping to keep some normality in their lives.
‘Forgotten children’ – the experience of siblings and how you can help
Siblings of children with cancer can experience a lot of change in their life and be directly affected emotionally and socially by their brother or sisters’ diagnosis. We take a look at how you can help.
‘Forgotten children’ – the experience of siblings and how you can help
Siblings of children with cancer can experience a lot of change in their life and be directly affected emotionally and socially by their brother or sisters’ diagnosis. We take a look at how you can help.
How to encourage healthy eating after childhood cancer
Creating healthier eating habits with your child can be difficult after cancer treatment. Here we share some fun tips and activities to encourage your child to eat heathier foods.
How to encourage healthy eating after childhood cancer
Creating healthier eating habits with your child can be difficult after cancer treatment. Here we share some fun tips and activities to encourage your child to eat heathier foods.
Emotions and cancer: Coping tips for parents
Parents and carers of children diagnosed with cancer often experience stress, overwhelm and uncertainty throughout the cancer experience. Here are our tips for coping with strong emotions during this challenging time.
Emotions and cancer: Coping tips for parents
Parents and carers of children diagnosed with cancer often experience stress, overwhelm and uncertainty throughout the cancer experience. Here are our tips for coping with strong emotions during this challenging time.
How books can help children with their emotions
Mum of two, Fiona, shares how books became a useful resource for her family to talk about childhood cancer throughout her daughter’s diagnosis and treatment.
How books can help children with their emotions
Mum of two, Fiona, shares how books became a useful resource for her family to talk about childhood cancer throughout her daughter’s diagnosis and treatment.
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Survivor means different things to different people.
At some point after treatment, people who have had cancer might start being called “survivors”. People use this word in different ways. The term “cancer survivor” is helpful for some people, and it can allow people to tap into support specifically related to “survivorship”. It can also give people who’ve faced cancer a strong sense of identity. For others, it doesn’t quite fit or do justice to how complex cancer is.
When someone might start describing themselves as a survivor also varies quite a lot. Some people may use the word from the time they’re diagnosed, when they finished treatment, or when they’re told they are cancer-free.
Many children who’ve had cancer have ‘late effects’ as a result of their treatment. Again, if your child has them and what they are depends on a lot of different facts. Late effects can range from cognitive changes or mental illness, to heart or kidney problems.
As a parent yourself, you might have ongoing impacts from treatment too, whether that’s financial, emotional, or social.
Resources for you
How to encourage healthy eating after childhood cancer
Creating healthier eating habits with your child can be difficult after cancer treatment. Here we share some fun tips and activities to encourage your child to eat heathier foods.
How to encourage healthy eating after childhood cancer
Creating healthier eating habits with your child can be difficult after cancer treatment. Here we share some fun tips and activities to encourage your child to eat heathier foods.
Childhood cancer: A father’s perspective
Depending on their role, each person in a family is affected by childhood cancer differently. This article outlines some of the common experiences dads can face during their child’s cancer experience.
Childhood cancer: A father’s perspective
Depending on their role, each person in a family is affected by childhood cancer differently. This article outlines some of the common experiences dads can face during their child’s cancer experience.
Why it can be hard to ask for help
If you are closely connected with or know a family whose child has been diagnosed with cancer, you may want to offer your help and support. There is a big difference in how comfortable people feel about offering help and asking for help.
Why it can be hard to ask for help
If you are closely connected with or know a family whose child has been diagnosed with cancer, you may want to offer your help and support. There is a big difference in how comfortable people feel about offering help and asking for help.
In hospital and at home: Tips for families this holiday season
No matter what the holiday season looks like for your family, here are some ideas that may help you through this time of year.
In hospital and at home: Tips for families this holiday season
No matter what the holiday season looks like for your family, here are some ideas that may help you through this time of year.
Dare to Dream Scholarship: what other parents say
Financial tips from parents and families for getting through their child’s cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Dare to Dream Scholarship: what other parents say
Financial tips from parents and families for getting through their child’s cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Support for the holiday season
No matter what the holiday season looks like for your family, here are some ideas that may help you through this time of year.
Support for the holiday season
No matter what the holiday season looks like for your family, here are some ideas that may help you through this time of year.
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Sometimes, cancer doesn’t respond to treatment. There’s no right or wrong way to feel or cope with this news. It can be hard to describe the waves of emotion involved. Some people who have been through this experience say it is possible to feel fear, devastation, anger and denial simultaneously. Others say they were completely numb.
There are many questions and also many decisions which are not easy to make. Telling your child, their siblings, and other people in your life is just the first of many incredibly hard conversations you will have to have.
You may feel alone in this. Your experience is your own, but there are people here to help and support you, including Redkite.
Resources for you
Finance tips from parents of kids with cancer
Financial tips from parents and families for getting through their child’s cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Finance tips from parents of kids with cancer
Financial tips from parents and families for getting through their child’s cancer diagnosis and treatment.
In hospital and at home: Tips for families this holiday season
No matter what the holiday season looks like for your family, here are some ideas that may help you through this time of year.
In hospital and at home: Tips for families this holiday season
No matter what the holiday season looks like for your family, here are some ideas that may help you through this time of year.
myRedkite User Guide for families
Resources myRedkite User Guide for families The myRedkite portal allows families to access the services they need, whenever they need…
myRedkite User Guide for families
Resources myRedkite User Guide for families The myRedkite portal allows families to access the services they need, whenever they need…
Dare to Dream Scholarship: what other parents say
Financial tips from parents and families for getting through their child’s cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Dare to Dream Scholarship: what other parents say
Financial tips from parents and families for getting through their child’s cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Support for the holiday season
No matter what the holiday season looks like for your family, here are some ideas that may help you through this time of year.
Support for the holiday season
No matter what the holiday season looks like for your family, here are some ideas that may help you through this time of year.
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Grief doesn’t have a formula or timeline. There’s no stages to go through. Grief comes and goes, rising and falling, and is never easy to predict.
Even though they are gone, they are still with you and you can still think about them, and you don’t have to be sad. You can be happy and think about them at the same time
Other people in your life can have expectations of how you’re supposed to behave or how long you should grieve for. But there isn’t a right or wrong way to act when your child has died. Time between moments of overwhelming grief grows further apart over time, but that doesn’t mean grief goes away. The fact is your child will always be part of you, and you’ll always have a relationship with them.
We provide bereavement counselling, and have articles and resources you can read. One of these resources is By My Side, a video and book of a collection of quotes from parents whose child has died because of cancer. You can ask our team for a copy of By My Side and we’ll post it out to you.
Resources for you
myRedkite User Guide for families
Resources myRedkite User Guide for families The myRedkite portal allows families to access the services they need, whenever they need…
myRedkite User Guide for families
Resources myRedkite User Guide for families The myRedkite portal allows families to access the services they need, whenever they need…
Other financial aid programs
A list of services providers offering financial aid in Australia
Other financial aid programs
A list of services providers offering financial aid in Australia
Books to help you talk to children about their big feelings
It can be hard to talk to your children about how their feeling. In this article, our social workers suggest some books that may help your conversations.
Books to help you talk to children about their big feelings
It can be hard to talk to your children about how their feeling. In this article, our social workers suggest some books that may help your conversations.
How can Redkite help you?
Men are encouraged to show strength and can’t say if you’re struggling, but how should a man behave when his child is diagnosed with cancer?
How can Redkite help you?
Men are encouraged to show strength and can’t say if you’re struggling, but how should a man behave when his child is diagnosed with cancer?
Grief, Loss and Bereavement
During this pandemic, the devastation, sadness and isolation is shared globally, and we all ‘get it’ and can understand the impact. But when it comes to bereavement, sadly many people and communities don’t understand.
Grief, Loss and Bereavement
During this pandemic, the devastation, sadness and isolation is shared globally, and we all ‘get it’ and can understand the impact. But when it comes to bereavement, sadly many people and communities don’t understand.
When your child dies
When your child dies is a nine-page booklet written using the real experiences of bereaved parents about life after your child dies.
When your child dies
When your child dies is a nine-page booklet written using the real experiences of bereaved parents about life after your child dies.
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