Guest Comment | The fight against childhood cancer also requires the support of parents and family members News, sports, jobs

Kristie Sammons

When it comes to children with cancer, just one case is too many.

Although the disease remains rare in children and adolescents, nearly 15,000 Americans under the age of 19 will be diagnosed with cancer this year, according to the National Cancer Institute. Each year, approximately 1,600 children and adolescents die from cancer in the United States.

Advances in treatment continue to be made, and survival rates for pediatric cancer have also increased significantly in recent decades.

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

With National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month having just passed, it is important to highlight the importance of providing such support to a young person's parents and family members. Because when your child has cancer, it's easy to feel like no one else can understand them.

Our team at the nonprofit Cancer Alliance Network helps people facing a cancer diagnosis get the dignity and relief they deserve by offering non-medical financial assistance for essential living expenses, including rent, mortgage, car payments, utilities, gas, and Food can include.

Since our nonprofit was founded in 2002 by a group of volunteers in Naples, our support programs have helped thousands of people with cancer and their families in Collier County. In 2017, the Cancer Alliance Network expanded to Lee County and the organization now serves children in neighboring Hendry and Glades counties.

Providing such support (free to families) to cope with the financial burden 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 give our young clients and their families the opportunity to discuss their feelings, fears and frustrations – as well as their successes – with others who know firsthand what they are experiencing.

The challenge is particularly difficult for parents who, in addition to the myriad decisions about treatment and care, are also likely to have to cope with feelings of guilt, grief, shame, abandonment and other complex emotions, all while continuing to work and, in some cases, care for other children or elders 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 English and Spanish.

Our breast cancer support group meets every second Wednesday of the month, including in the evenings, while a men's support group meets every third Wednesday of the month.

In order to bring the issue into the public eye, we have founded a new self-help group that is specifically aimed at parents of young people with cancer.

Led 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, and online.

Pre-registration is required at CancerAllianceNetwork.org

Over the years, clients and their families have repeatedly mentioned the importance of supporting others experiencing similar circumstances 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. Participants can listen and learn from each other, exchange advice and tips, and find valuable resources and information in a community with a common point of view.

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

At Cancer Alliance Network, every dollar raised here stays here and is tax deductible. Our organization was founded to help our neighbors and friends during the most difficult times imaginable.

Dealing with a world full of unknowns and being forced to make life-changing medical decisions, as well as dealing with the increasing pressures of everyday living costs, is more than any individual – or family – can handle alone. It is important for parents of children with cancer to connect with others in similar situations.

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

— Kristie Sammons is program director at the Cancer Alliance Network.