Help/advice please if possible

[vonne]

Yes - I am still alive but just been hibernating.

A girlfriend of mine called me last night to tell me her 10 year old daughter has Langerhans' Cell Histiocytosis.  It's not exactly cancer but is treated in the same fashion.  She's having chemo atm (luckily it's a low dosage) but is currently confined to a wheelchair.

Her mum's been told that under 5

Comments

[arthwollipot]

You might try getting in contact with Megan & Doug, whose daughter Sian has Cystic Fibrosis.

[kriian]

Generally, the child with the illness comes to terms with it faster and easier than the family around them. They talk to other kids at the hospitals and clinics, and find their own understanding. They see more hope in the darkest possibilities than adults do, because they are not yet old enough to have been taught to imagine the worst, or to have even learnt what 'the worst' could be. The best thing with the other child is to get her involved in finding nice things to do, which are nice for her as well as her sister - special treatment that is her idea will always be more acceptable than special treatment that someone else thought up. I know someone who is involved in the 'clown doctor' program in the hospitals - she has a great insight on what people can and can't do in the face of such things - I can try to track down a current email for her.

[ihlanya]

Firstly, my sympathies to your friends. Having a sick child is not easy, and something as serious as this is just awful for all concerned. I'll send out good thoughts and blessings for them

[jaelle_n_gilla]

Sorry for replying so late