Uncategorized Blog Entries

  1. Healing Power of Art

    Healing Power of Art
    Photo by National Cancer Institute on 

    Nurturing Pediatric Cancer Patients through Creative Activities

    Facing a cancer diagnosis is never easy, but when it comes to pediatric cancer patients, the challenges are unique and heart-wrenching. Moreover, the physical, emotional, and psychological toll can be overwhelming for these young patients and their families. However, there’s a remarkable source of support that can help them cope: the world of art. The healing power of art serves as a beacon of hope and healing for these children. Art activities offer them an avenue for self-expression, empowerment, and a break from the clinical environment.

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  2. Raise Awareness About Childhood Cancer

    Childhood Cancer Awareness

    Childhood cancer remains the number one cause of death by disease among children in the United States. September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. This is a month to raise awareness about childhood cancer.  Additionally, it’s a time to celebrate advances in childhood cancer treatment and survivorship care.  Equally important, this is a time to honor kids with cancer and to remember the children we’ve lost.  It is essential to raise awareness about childhood cancer because we can make a difference in the lives of those affected by this disease. Together we can work toward the golden goal when every child with cancer can live a long and healthy life. 

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  3. Long Wait Times

    Long Wait Times
    Unsplash photo by Lucas Alexander

    Let’s face it. There’s nothing worse than having a long wait time before seeing the doctor. And while it’s hard for just about everyone, it’s particularly hard on kids going through cancer treatment. Their calendars are already overcrowded with medical appointments. And more minutes at the doctor’s office waiting can only add to their angst. So, what can you do to make long wait times easier on both you and your child?

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  4. Quiet in the Hospital

    Quiet in the hospital

    Intravenous infusion pumps beep-beep-beeping, squeaky cart wheels rolling across polished floors, nursing call systems, pagers, hallway conversations, and roommates all make for a busy, noisy place.  Anyone who has ever been hospitalized or sat at a patient’s bedside, knows hospitals are bustling with noise and interruptions. And while the delivery of care undeniably generates commotion, patients still need restful moments to retreat from the stimuli. After all, finding quiet in the hospital, finding distraction in this explosion of stimulation and sound is important for all patients.

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  5. Child Life Month and Social Work Month

    Child Life Month and Social Work Month

    As March arrives with the promise of warmer days and hope for the end of winter, it’s the ideal month to honor some very special healthcare professionals.  March is both Child Life Month and Social Work Month, a time to recognize the amazing contributions these two professions make to the pediatric healthcare environment. Their presence and the programs they provide are essential during a child’s medical journey.

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  6. Share a little love on Valentine’s Day

    Share a little love on Valentine’s Day
    Photo by Element5Digital on Unsplash 

    Heart shaped boxes of chocolates, fancy dinners, red roses, and greeting cards are synonymous with Valentine’s Day. And while the holiday certainly revolves around these for many of us, it can be a tough time to be alone in the hospital, especially for kids. That’s why it’s so important to share a little love on Valentine’s Day with a pediatric cancer patient.

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  7. 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.

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  8. 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?

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  9. This #GivingTuesday Give Like Mikey

    #GivingTuesday Give Like Mikey: "The best gift that you can get is to give a gift to another person.

    As children across the country dream about holiday gifts and holiday parties, our hearts go out to all the pediatric cancer patients whose holiday will be spent wishing they could feel better. Some are so sick they have to spend their holidays in a hospital room.

    And while most children await the gift-giving season with excited anticipation, when your family is burdened with medical bills, gifts become a luxury that are difficult to afford. That’s why our Mikey’s Wish List and Mikey’s Way Day programs are especially important during this time of year.

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  10. Mikey’s Way Wish List Kids

    Beyond a Mikey’s Way Day – the Mikey’s Way Wish List 

    Each year, the wheels of our Mikey’s Way Day  “Connection Cart” roll across numerous pediatric oncology/hematology floors throughout the country. It is at this time, during a Mikey’s Way Day that every patient in every room on the pediatric oncology/hematology floor has the opportunity to select an electronic. But, not every pediatric oncology patient is in the hospital the day of a Mikey’s Way Day. That’s why we have the Mikey’s Way Wish List.

    The Mikey’s Way Wish List

    If for some reason we miss a child on the day of our visit, a Child Life Specialist from the hospital can fill out the Wish List form and send it along to us. Once we receive the form, we package the child’s special gift and ship it directly to him or her.

    Meet a Few of Our Wish List Kids

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