Isolation – it’s one of the first challenges a child may face after receiving a cancer diagnosis. Not being able to attend school, see friends or take part in other normal activities can be very isolating. Long hospital stays or hours spent receiving treatment can take their toll adding to the feelings of isolation. But staying connected during treatment is critical.

Mikey Friedman founded Mikey’s Way to help pediatric cancer patients cope with what he felt was, “perhaps the most difficult burden: the psychological challenges of cancer treatment.”  Not only do Mikey’s Way gifts bring relief but they also provide a pathway out of the boredom and isolation that occurs with treatment.

The Wish List program is an integral part of Mikey’s vision. These Mikey’s Way gifts bring relief because they provide a lifeline to the outside world. In fact they can provide a connection to the children’s friends, family, and classmates. In addition they help combat the long hours of treatment, the intense loneliness and sense of isolation.

Kids with cancer face many painful and scary procedures that can be both traumatic and stressful. They endure long hours of isolating and lonely treatments. And, they face hours of what Mikey Friedman referred to as “toxic boredom.” But what Mikey came to understand first hand is that distraction can help kids cope with cancer treatment.

Mikey believed that there was an immediate and pressing importance to help cancer patients cope with the mental stress of cancer treatment. “We’ve seen that distraction and psychological intervention can aid in nausea.  But there is much more.” he wrote. He believed that distraction could also help kids cope with cancer treatment.  His own personal experience led him to believe that others could benefit from the use of distraction activities such as the gaming system he had.