A sad reality that a number of families face is the tragic loss of a child that has been diagnosed with cancer. Through no fault of their own the kids that fall victim to a life threatening disease undergo treatments that are difficult to endure and which leave them weak and susceptible to other common illnesses that can make them even sicker than they already are. Although there are treatments that include chemotherapy and radiation to kill off the cancer cells and rebuild the bone marrow after a mutated (or diseased cells and tumors) are cleared out of the system there is still a chance that the cancer will claim the life of an innocent child. For a lot of families there are feelings of loneliness and uncertainty during the time that their child is diagnosed and whilst they are undergoing treatment for cancer, yet through the support of a childhood cancer foundation the questions about why this has happened and what can be done to cure the loved one can be understood and answered.
The challenge of dealing with a sick child that may have a terminal prognosis is heartbreaking and even with extended family and friends offering their support during a trying time the parents of a terminally ill child can find moments when they are totally alone and isolated from the rest of the world. Yet there are support groups and places where a family can turn for help when the emotions of watching their child suffer become too much to bear. Through events that sponsor fundraising or that bring out the community so that everyone who has been touched by cancer can share their stories of success or remembrance of someone that has been taken by the illness that are incurable families can learn how to cope with the stress of their situation and find the comfort that others have felt as they come to terms with the passing of child.
Cancer shows no mercy for the infirmed and for some the battle is short, others however face a long struggle with their illness and spend many hours, days and months in the care of oncologists and internists that are doing all they can to heal the sick and make the terminally ill as comfortable as possible. Through the work of physicians and the support that comes from outside the hospitals and treatment centers there is hope that everything will be alright and even when the end is inevitable there are people that can provide the support to help a family return to what the world around them considers normal. With the assistance of a childhood cancer foundation that works with children and their family many people are gaining the strength and courage to carry on after a child is diagnosed with a form of cancer that threatens their life.