Kids' Words When a Parent Has Cancer

When you learn a parent has cancer, it’s easy to feel alone, with no one capable of understanding your fears, worries, and anger.

The children of the cancer support group Kids Alive! have been where you are now. They’ve felt the anger, the fear, and the guilt that cancer causes. In Kids’ Words When a Parent Has Cancer, they share their experiences with you.

In these pages, you’ll find the answers you need to cope with a family member’s cancer diagnosis. The kids, ages six to seventeen, talk about when they discovered their parent had cancer and what life is like during treatment. They share their feelings and how they expressed their pain. Most important, their words can help you discover what you can do to help yourself—and your family—cope during and after cancer treatment.

Illustrated with artwork from the Kids Alive! program, Kids’ Words When a Parent Has Cancer also offers advice to parents on what children need to know about cancer and how to handle any potential difficulties.

The true voice of the book, however, belongs to the kids, who want other children to know that they understand what they’re going through and are not alone—others have been here before and want to help.

Kids Alive! Support for Children of Parents with Cancer serves children ages six to seventeen struggling to cope with a parent's cancer diagnosis and treatment. The support group provides a safe environment where children can express their feelings and facilitates better relationships between cancer patients and their families, free from guilt and anxiety.

Madelyn Case, PhD; Jeanne Currey, RN, MN, CNS; and Lorraine Hard, PhD, are codirectors of the Kids Alive! support group. All three have extensive experience working with children in clinical settings.