After a child’s diagnosis, the biggest advocate for the child becomes the family. Learning about the disease and what resources are available to your family’s situation is part of being an advocate. This involves learning about your child’s standard of care resources including psychosocial services. While these services are optional, it’s recommended for families to look into the resources being provided. Common services, like the ones listed below, ensure each family member has the support they need to keep on fighting.
- Advocacy (including financial): Understanding and using programs, financial help, policies, and laws
- Education: Learning about the effects of cancer and its treatments, healthy stress management, and more
- Supportive Counseling: Ways for all family members to talk with a professional about personal issues and concerns
- Targeted Psychotherapy: Specifically focuses on emotional management
- Behavioral Interventions: Assistance in overcoming fears and concerns of cancer treatments such as fear of needles
- Medication: Cancer treatments and medications can sometimes cause side effects that introduce negative behaviors. There are supplemental medications available to help lessen or negate these side effects
- Referral to Outside Resources: Used to help families find resources dedicated to expenses that health insurance doesn’t cover
Childhood Cancer Family Support
Housing for Patients Traveling for Cancer Treatment
- Cancer Support Community: cancer-support-helpline
- Ronald McDonald House: Facebook Group
- Ronald Mcdonald House Charities of: St Louis Facebook Group
- Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kansas City: what we do and FAQs
Transportation
More often than not, families have to travel long distances in order for their child to receive the best care possible. There are several organizations that know how critical it is to make those appointments and keep a regular schedule of treatments. Here are some of those organizations who have dedicated resources to help those in need of transportation to treatments.
- Cancer Support Community: Transportation Concerns Resources
- Lazarex Cancer Foundation: Lodging & Transportation Resources
- Compass to Care: Transportation Assistance
- Alex Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF): Family Services
Trips
With constant hospital stays and doctor visits, taking a trip for fun is a great relief for kids and parents. Making beautiful memories to remember later can help encourage all family members to keep on fighting and make more memories.
- Kellsie’s Hope Foundation: Wishes
- Lighthouse Family Retreat: Attend a Retreat
- Make-A-Wish: America Facebook Group
- Make-A-Wish: Missouri & Kansas Facebook Group
- NixonStrong Foundation: Nominate a Child
Support & Information
- Camp Quality Ozark: Facebook Group
- Childhood Cancer Support Group (NCCS): Facebook Group
- Fighting All Monsters: Facebook Group & Headquarters
- Joplin Area Special Needs Support Group: Facebook Group
- Lighthouse Family Retreat: Resources
- American Childhood Cancer Organization: Facebook Group & Resources
Bills & Expenses
Typically, parents have to cut back on work hours or stop working completely in order to be with their child. Extended hospital stays, which come with expenses of their own, are added to already strained finances. This is where these groups step in to help. Organizations, like the ones listed below, strive to support parents so they can focus on their child’s needs.
- Maximum Hope: What we do
- Pinky Swear Foundation: Programs
- CancerCare: Services
- GoodDays: Resources
- Clayton Dabney for Kids with Cancer: Financial Assistance
- Fight like Emilie Foundation: Support
- Children’s Miracle Network Hospital at Freeman Health System: Making Miracles Happen
- Baby Jays Legacy: Financial Assistance
- B+ (B Positive): Programs
- National Children’s Cancer Society (NCCS): Facebook Group & Financial Support
- Supporting Kids Foundation: Facebook Group & Parent Services
- Unravel Pediatric Cancer: Facebook Group & Cancer Families