Opinion: Childhood cancer fight also requires support for parents, family members

When it comes to kids with cancer, even one case is too many.

Although the disease remains rare in children and adolescents, nearly 15,000 U.S. residents under age 19 will be diagnosed with cancer this year, according to the National Cancer Institute. Approximately 1,600 children and adolescents in the U.S. die of cancer each year.

Advancements in treatment persist, and the pediatric cancer survival rate has also increased significantly over the past several decades.

Regardless of age, the road to recovery is fraught not just with the disease’s physical toll, but also its financial, psychological and emotional impact.

The importance of providing such support to a young person’s parents and family members is worth highlighting. Because when your child has cancer, it’s easy to feel like no one else can understand.

Our team at the nonprofit Cancer Alliance Network helps individuals facing a cancer diagnosis receive the dignity and relief they deserve by offering non-medical financial assistance for essential living expenses, which may include rent, mortgage, car payments, utilities, gas and food.

Since our nonprofit’s creation in 2002 by a group of community volunteers in Naples, our support programs have served thousands of individuals with cancer and their families in Collier County. In 2017, Cancer Alliance Network expanded to Lee County, and the organization is now also serving children in neighboring Hendry and Glades counties.

Providing such support (at no cost to families) as they navigate the financial strain and emotional stress of the disease allows recipients to better focus their attention on the fight against cancer.

We also convene monthly support groups to provide our young clients and their families with opportunities to discuss their feelings, fear and frustrations – as well as their successes – with others who know firsthand what they are experiencing.

The challenge is a particularly tough one for parents, who in addition to the myriad decisions about treatment and care will also likely navigate feelings of guilt, grief, shame, abandonment and other complex emotions, all while continuing to work and in some cases care for other children, or elderly family members.

Our support groups include one that is open to all clients, survivors, caregivers and family members. It meets on the first Wednesday of each month, with sessions in both English and Spanish.

Our breast cancer support group meets on the second Wednesday of each month, also in the evening, while a men’s support group convenes on the third Wednesday of each month.

With a broader public focus on the issue, we have started a new support group specifically aimed at parents of young people with cancer.

Guided by a trained facilitator, the parent support group meets at 6:30 p.m. at the Chrysallis Wellness Center, 11932 Fairway Oaks Drive in Fort Myers, as well as online. Advance registration is required at CancerAllianceNetwork.org

Through the years, clients and their families repeatedly mention how vital the support of others going through similar circumstances was in their own healing journeys.

Connecting with other parents of children with cancer can be one of the best ways to deal with the emotional, physical and spiritual challenges, allowing participants to listen and learn from each other, share advice and tips, and find valuable resources and information as part of a community with a shared viewpoint.

“I think it is essential to have other people who have been through this and understand it. This diagnosis will change your life,” breast cancer survivor and CAN client Alice Karow said in 2022. “It’s a whole other realm of existence.”

At Cancer Alliance Network, every dollar raised here stays here and is tax-deductible. Our organization was formed to help our neighbors and friends through the most difficult times anyone could imagine.

Facing a world of unknowns and forced to make life-changing medical decisions, as well as dealing with the mounted pressures of everyday living expenses, is more than any one person – or family – can manage on their own. For parents of kids with cancer, it’s crucial to connect with others in similar circumstances.

To learn more about our organization, including our support groups and other programs, visit CancerAllianceNetwork.org or call 239-643-HOPE.

Kristie Sammons is Programs director at Cancer Alliance Network.