COPING WITH CHILD LOSS FROM CANCER

COPING WITH CHILD LOSS FROM CANCER

Introduction

For a long period, the death of young ones related to cancer has been a topic that is talked about in silence behind closed doors. Victims especially the family do not know how to handle the situation, words to speak, family members that will neglect the case and even the condolences are short plus very motivational.

For the caregiver who has losses a child, it takes long periods of knowing and the pain associated with the loss last for long periods of time. Sometimes even years cannot wipe away the sorrow related to the loss of family member through childhood cancer. The American Childhood cancer organization promote that such lives should be celebrated instead of being mourned (Price, J. E., & Jones, A. M., 2015). It is therefore essential to provide a platform for such parents and caregivers to express their loss and pain and providing such a platform will enable various parents to present their grievances and heal from the circumstance.

Support groups should be able to assist the parents who have lost their child through therapeutic activities and to offer other resources that will support the victim through the recovery process. This moment is challenging to most people, and some individuals feel like they have lost hope in life due to the trauma. Parents who have suffered the loss can also seek online support from organizations that maintain an online presence to deal with such circumstances (Nolbris, M. J., Enskär, K., & Hellström, A. L., 2014). Usually, most parents are not well prepared for the loss of their young ones. Therefore it is crucial for the victim to capture almost all the memories they shared with the child to develop the magnitude of their loss. For the parents, the damage is extended to achieve the loss of a close friend, a link to future generation and loss of support in the family.

During the initial stages of the loss, parents are usually in severe shock, denial of the occurrence, disbelief, and state of confusion. The parents are overridden with sadness and state of desperation which includes lack of drive to perform daily obligations and simple activities like waking up. The parents are overwhelmed with feelings of guilt and failing to provide adequate protection to the young one who has deceased and sometimes wish if there was a way to handle things differently (Price, J. E., & Jones, A. M., 2015). There are also episodes of anger and bitter feelings of the young life lost which would have blossomed into a beautiful outcome. The other members of the family such as siblings of the deceased get resentful at the parents who make them lose the meaning of life and occasionally wish to die and join the child.

To some people, such loss brings a state of questioning the existence of God, and some individuals lose faith, and at times one gets lost in the thoughts of having the child still living. This circumstance makes the parent be lonely and isolate self from other people believing that they do not understand how the victim feels. Although different parents have their ways of grieving the remaining part of this paper is going to provide methods for the family to handle the loss. Due to cultural orientation men are expected to hold their emotions and be strong, and the female counterparts are expected to mourn openly. The damage does not only affect the parent but other siblings also, therefore, it is essential to assist them through the hard times (Nolbris, M. J., Enskär, K., & Hellström, A. L., 2014). It is therefore vital for the parents to make the mourning a shared process and involve other siblings when discussing burial plans. It is essential to make other siblings aware that they were not subject to the loss of one of them. It is also important to ask other close family members to spend more time with the remaining siblings, talking to them positively an instilling good behavior in them.

As a parent, it is important to talk more often about the dead child including mentioning his or her name. It is vital to a request for assistance from friends and other family members to help in running errands, doing daily chores and providing care for the remaining children. It is crucial to identify what to do with the deceased belongings and prepare for hard times including response plus reaction from other individuals (Price, J. E., & Jones, A. M., 2015). Parents who have lost a child should join a support group and understand it is never easy getting over the loss. The support group assists in developing mechanisms that assist in coping with the loss, accepting things and moving on in life. It is also essential for parents to establish a legacy for the lost child who includes volunteering to work and supporting organizations associated with such incidences. Some people find it helpful to initiate a memorial fund or do an activity as simple as planting a tree (Nolbris, M. J., Enskär, K., & Hellström, A. L., 2014).

Conclusion

This paper discusses the loss of a child through cancer and how parent and other remaining siblings cope with the situation. The article highlights various results of the damage, effects on the parents and remaining siblings and multiple ways for both parties to deal with the situation.

Reference

Price, J. E., & Jones, A. M. (2015). Living through the life-altering loss of a child: a narrative review. Issues in comprehensive pediatric nursing, 38(3).

Nolbris, M. J., Enskär, K., & Hellström, A. L. (2014). Grief related to the experience of being the sibling of a child with cancer. Cancer Nursing, 37(5), E1-E7.