Five Steps to Rehabilitation

Five Steps to Rehabilitation

The content is the personal experience of children who recovered from childhood cancer in Hong Kong

Treatment

●Is childhood cancer incurable?

No, childhood cancer is not incurable, and most childhood cancers are treatable.

●Do children fully recover after completing the course of treatment?

Children with cancer do not achieve complete recovery after completing their treatment. They often require ongoing treatments and examinations to delay recurrence.

●Is childhood cancer a congenital disease? Is it contagious to others?

Childhood cancer is not congenital. Over 90% of cases occur naturally, and the cause is unknown. It is not contagious to others.

Social Interaction

●What difficulties will survivors face when returning to school and making friends?

Some friends may mistakenly believe that cancer is contagious, leading to labeling and reluctance to befriend survivors. This isolation can affect their social life. However, improving social skills in children with cancer can foster positive social interactions.

While most survivors maintain a positive attitude, the challenging treatment may result in changes in their appearance and psychology, making it difficult to integrate into the community and potentially leading to discrimination.

Supporting survivors: In addition to social workers offering psychological counseling, teachers can educate students and encourage them to help survivors reintegrate into social life with a positive and friendly attitude. It's important that the public avoids labeling and discrimination, instead appreciating and learning from survivors' courage and persistence in facing life's difficulties.

Family

●Does a child suffering from cancer create a financial burden for the family?

When family members stay in the hospital to care for their child with cancer, they may not be able to work as usual, impacting their income. Medical expenses can vary, and additional charges for specific medicines may add to the financial strain.

●Does the illness strain family relationships?

The survivor may face life and work restrictions due to various aftereffects, potentially leading to parental complaints or excessive indulgence, which can make other siblings feel neglected.

Family members not only have to care for their child in the hospital but also for other children. They must juggle caregiving, work, and the pressure of finances and emotions.

Support methods: The help and understanding of relatives and friends can alleviate parents' burdens, such as preparing meals or taking turns to care for the sick child in the hospital.

Study

●How does returning to school affect learning ability?

Survivors may face reduced learning ability due to drug-induced sequelae like impaired hearing and cognitive abilities. Teachers and school social workers should collaborate to understand the survivor's learning progress and offer necessary support.

Survivors might struggle to reintegrate into school life due to a lack of confidence. It's essential for fellow students to be understanding of their challenges.

Prolonged treatments often keep sick children out of school. Returning to school involves adapting to a new environment, facing potential learning setbacks due to hospital visits, and coping with physical weaknesses. Some survivors may experience permanent damage to their learning abilities, such as impaired hearing or cognitive function.

Support method: Schools can maintain open communication with parents, understand the survivor's challenges, and provide timely support. Offering specialized homework guidance can help spark the survivor's interest and improve their learning achievements.

Empolyment

●What difficulties and challenges do childhood cancer survivors face in their work?

Rehabilitated survivors require regular follow-up visits, which can affect their attendance. Some survivors may experience growth limitations and slightly reduced abilities, making them less competitive.

Support method: Employers should recognize the importance of follow-up visits and consider flexible working hours to accommodate the survivor's abilities and limitations. Effective communication between the employer and survivor is crucial for establishing a postivie employment relationship. Employers can also fulfill their corporate social responsibilities by collaborating with childhood cnacer charities to provide short-term or part-time employment opportunities, vocational training, career counseling, and follow-up services to enhance the survivor's competitiveness.