What the summer holidays are like in hospital for oncology families

What is the Family Wellbeing and Transition Program?

Speaking to a Redkite Family Wellbeing Coordinator based at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead in Sydney, to discuss what it is like for families staying in the hospital over the holiday season and how the Redkite Family Wellbeing and Transition Program helps to lighten the load.

The Family Wellbeing and Transition Program was created to improve the wellbeing of oncology families during their hospital stay. Redkite provides practical and emotional support and connects families to essential Redkite services such as social work and mental health support, practical and financial assistance.

What is it like for families staying in hospital over the holidays?

It’s challenging enough being in the hospital with your child, but when there’s a huge occasion like their birthday, a major holiday, or a celebration, it makes it a little bit harder. It’s very tough for families which is why we do all we can to lift their spirits and help them celebrate in their own unique way.

I work four days a week on the ward and am the go-to person for everything wellbeing-related. I coordinate the volunteers and all the activities for the children on the ward as well as link families to Redkite support services they might not have known about. An important part of my role is to give families a safe space to feel whatever it is that they are feeling. This is especially important around the holiday period when emotions can be heightened.

How many families do you look after on the oncology ward?

There are 22 beds in the ward, plus the families that are out-patients, which come into the clinic for treatment and then head home. I also look after the New Caledonian families that always need a little bit of support as they have travelled from far away and may be unfamiliar with the culture here as well as the hospital environment. The volunteers are crucial for me to be able to run the activities I do for the families.

What are some of things you do to brighten the days?

The hospital is always decorated beautifully. Volunteers at Westmead do a wonderful job making the oncology clinic at the hospital a little bit lighter and more fun for everybody. They have a huge tree at Christmas time, along with presents. At Easter time there was a giant chocolate egg, and they gave a few kids sticks to break the egg. It was amazing.

I also decorate the family room and kitchen, which is our Redkite room on the oncology ward. I’ll put up decorations and a mini tree and fill the kitchen with Christmas snacks and nice food. We do our best to make it a little bit more comforting. We don’t ignore that it is a challenging time for families. We acknowledge the holidays and do our best to make the kids smile and have fun during these times.

What is it like for families who aren’t from Australia?

We have a lot of French-speaking New Caledonian families come to Australia to access specialist services at Westmead Hospital, which are not available in New Caledonia. Obviously, Christmas drives home the fact that they’re in a different country surrounded by people who don’t speak their language, and their child is receiving really intense treatment. 

 In the past we have made up little packages of French food, and then I got a few companies on board and a lovely man who likes to cure his meats and donated different foods to us. He said that one Christmas when he was a child, he was in hospital by himself, and it was awful, so he’s super empathetic and wants to make it better for our French-speaking families any way he can.

The families really loved the food packages and within a day all the French meats and cheeses were gone.

What activities do you run for the children and carers?

We do a lot of painting and drawing and craft-type activities. In the past we also had a volunteer come in and do face painting on the ward and in the oncology clinic which was awesome and a big hit with the kids. We have done cake decorating for Halloween, and we have also made Christmas cards and ornaments for parents A lot of the kids are too sick to leave their beds. If they’re feeling well, they come in with their IV pole. It’s sweet, they sit in the family room and do their crafts. Or if they’re too unwell but they show interest, then I take an activity to them in their room. But the offer is always there for them to join us in the family room just to get them out of their rooms, reset their mental space and get them focused on something else that isn’t the four walls around them. It also gives the parent or carer a little bit of a break as well.

We have a reflexologist who comes in fortnightly for the carers and does massages which are nice, especially around the holiday season.  We are hoping to recruit more volunteers who can provide that bit of extra care and support to our families.

Do you think these activities lighten the load around the holiday period?

Yes, the children get excited- it helps distract them from chemo, its harsh side-effects, and the sadness of being away from siblings, grandparents, and family during the holidays. It’s also nice for the kids to make something for their parents when the parents perhaps haven’t had time or space to even think about cards or ornaments yet.

I had one mum share during a Father’s Day event that she was so grateful for the gifts because she hadn’t organized anything for her partner and her sick child was asking what he was going to give dad for Father’s Day. So, the little one came and chose his gift to give dad.

Redkite understands these times can be challenging for families and we are here to help support to you. We take the time to listen, understand, and provide support, whether that means having someone to talk to, accessing online resources, offering family or individual counselling, or connecting you with other services.