Distraction can help kids cope with cancer

Distractions can help kids cope with cancer
Distractions such as gaming systems, laptops and tablets like the ones Mikey’s Way distributes, can help kids cope with cancer.

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.

 read more →

Savoring Every Moment

Mikey savoring every moment with his Dad

Mikey lived his life savoring every moment.  He knew the importance of each time interval. And as the clock ticked, he savored each moment. He appreciated his time on this earth; with relish, compassion and purpose.  His work to create Mikey’s Way Foundation is a testament to who he was and how he chose to live his life and use his time.

In one of his many journal entries, “A Moment in a Two-Month”, Mikey expressed the importance of savoring every moment.  

Time is Relative to the Observer

“Time is relative to the observer. Humans conspired together to invent the second as a means of measuring time intervals. Everyone lives by the second. It dictates the hour, days, weeks, months, and years. And the calendar keeps our engagements to the second in order. But time is relative to the observer. I am not bound to the second. Rather, I measure them in two-month intervals. When you think about it, both measurements are equally arbitrary; both are equally indifferent to the intrinsic behavior of existences. Only here’s the difference: my time interval is important; your second is meaningless.”

 read more →

Child-Life Specialists & Social Workers!

Child Life Specialists and Social Workers

We are so proud and honored to work alongside the many extraordinary Child-Life Specialists and Social Workers at our Participating Hospitals. We celebrate them not only during their special recognition month in March but throughout the entire year! In our eyes Child-Life Specialists and Social Workers are all Super Heroes! 

 read more →

Chemotherapy and Hair Loss

Chemotherapy and hair loss
Photo from NCI Bill Branson photographer

If your child has cancer and is about to begin chemotherapy, they may very likely experience hair lose.  Unfortunately, chemotherapy and hair loss tend to go hand and hand. And for a lot of kids, especially teen agers, hair loss can be one of the most difficult and devastating side effects of treatment.

Losing hair takes away cancer anonymity. It’s like an emoji to the world that a person has cancer. And while some kids are able to take it in stride, it can be pretty distressing for others. Especially if a child isn’t comfortable sharing the news.

 read more →

Preparing Your Child for Medical Tests

Preparing Your Child for Medical Tests
Photo by CDC on Unsplash

Medical tests can be scary, no matter how old you are.  And for kids with cancer, it’s really hard because tests and procedures are a large part of their cancer journey. But by properly preparing your child for medical tests you can help lower their anxiety and provide them with valuable coping skills.  

 read more →

Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast!

Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast on February 18th

If you’ve ever wanted to dish up a bowl of your favorite ice cream for breakfast rather than your usual bowl of oatmeal, February 18th is the day to do it! And while Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast is a day that gives you permission to indulge in one of life’s little pleasures for breakfast, the real goal of the day is to increase awareness about childhood cancer. 

 read more →

COVID-19, Kids With Cancer and School?

Photo by Deleece Cook on Unsplash

Having a child with cancer is tough enough, but during a pandemic it’s even tougher. And as the pandemic lingers, the question is – should kids with cancer attend school in-person during COVID-19?

 read more →

Gift for a Child with Cancer

Gift for a Child with Cancer
Photo by Ekaterina Shevchenko

Selecting an appropriate gift for a child with cancer can be tricky. It’s hard to know what they’d like or even be able to use when they’re not feeling well. And you certainly don’t want to buy something that is inappropriate or would make their situation worse. But don’t let this stop you from giving a gift for a child with cancer. You just need to do a little homework before choosing a gift.

 read more →

Raise Awareness for Childhood Cancer

Raise Awareness about childhood cancer

September is the month chosen to raise awareness for childhood cancer. According to the American Childhood Cancer Organization, “By the time this month is over, another 1,300 children in the U.S. will be diagnosed with cancer. Even with the best treatments available, 1 in 5 children with cancer will not survive. And of those who do, most will have long-term side effects from their treatment.”

 read more →

Children with Cancer during Coronavirus

Children with Cancer during Coronavirus

While children with cancer during coronavirus face challenges such as increased social isolation, there is some good news. According to a study led by Andrew Kung, MD, PhD, Chair of MSK Kids and his colleagues at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer, children and teens with cancer are not at higher risk of being affected by COVID-19 than children without cancer. The research also shows that children with cancer who have COVID-19 often have mild symptoms like those of healthy children.

 read more →