A Parent's Challenge
- Terry and Joanna Hughes brought their baby to the hospital three times for fever and a loss of feeling in his arm before doctors sadly determined that he had leukemia.
- The couple, who are understandably under immense stress, had no choice but to stop working to care for their children.
- If your child is diagnosed with cancer, it may seem like the dreams you have for your family are falling apart. It's important to try to keep a level head after you've fully felt all of your emotions around the diagnosis. But it's also important to feel all of those emotions that come along with receiving a cancer diagnosis.
Baby Otis Hughes, 17 months, was diagnosed with leukemia just last month after his parents determined their precious little boy had lost his feeling in one arm.
Read More
“We are so lucky to have a global army of friends that have provided us with so much help, we don’t know where to put it,” Joanna said. “It’s always one of the most difficult questions to answer, how you can help, and its the little things that make the world of difference.”
Related: Warning Signs! The Top Ten Childhood Cancer Symptoms That Can Be Missed
“We appreciate any donation that we receive. Different people have different means to give whether its money, time, messages or miles and it really shows the power of our community, even though we are new to the area.”
According to Joanna, baby “Oti,” as he is lovingly nicknamed, has been “incredibly accepting of it all,” but his parents are so overwhelmed facing “the little day-to-day decisions” on how to properly care for their child.
Along with keeping their community informed on the fundraiser page, which was set up by a close friend, the family has also been documenting the tiny warrior’s progress on their Instagram page, titled HughesmOTIvationarmy.
Related: The Benefit of Support Networks for Cancer Patients
Oti has been in the hospital for four weeks now, and despite what he is facing, “he is pure sunshine and back to his old self,” according to the family’s latest update.
“We know there will be really tough days but we can't operate with gloomy anticipation of them – we will face them when they come because there is no other choice,” the post reads.
View this post on Instagram
“We are so lucky to have a global army of friends that have provided us with so much help, we don’t know where to put it,” Joanna expressed. “It’s always one of the most difficult questions to answer, how you can help, and it’s the little things that make the world of difference.
“I do think we’re a generation of people that doesn’t tend to do things behind closed doors,” Joanna noted. “People are okay to hear real raw honest stories as it resonates better and it definitely helps to document it, write things down.”
Whether you choose to keep your family health news private or not, these daysmostly thanks to social mediait does seem like more and more people are sharing. Not only do families like the Hughes get incredible support, but raising awareness is so important so that other parents know what to look out for with their own children.
What to Know About Leukemia in Children
Leukemia is the most common cancer in children and teens, according to the American Cancer Society. It accounts for almost 1 out of 3 pediatric cancers.
Most of these cancers are a type of leukemia called acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), which starts in the early forms of white blood cells called lymphocytes. ALLs make up about 3 out of 4 cases of childhood leukemia.
Acute myeloid leukemias (AML) make up most of the remaining cases, and chronic leukemias are rare in children. AMLs begin in the myeloid cells that normally form white blood cells (other than lymphocytes), red blood cells, or platelets.
Understanding the Different Types of Leukemia
"When we talk about leukemia, that means one of the types of white blood cells is growing out of proportion to the others and in general, that's the definition of cancer," Dr. Nina Shah, a hematologist at the University of California San Francisco, told SurvivorNet in a previous conversation about how blood cancers begin.
"One cell got really selfish and decided that it needed to take up all the resources of everybody else and in doing so, took up space and energy from the rest of the body," she explained. "So in this case, some of the white blood cells will start to grow out of proportion, and that's what's known as a leukemia. Now, if it's a kind of leukemia that grows really, really quickly, we call it an acute leukemia. And if it's a kind of leukemia that grows over several years, we call it a chronic leukemia."
How to Cope if Your Child is Diagnosed With Cancer
If your child is diagnosed with cancer, it may seem like the dreams you have for your family are falling apart. It's important to try to keep a level head after you've fully felt all of your emotions around the diagnosis. But it's also important to feel all of those emotions that come along with receiving a cancer diagnosis.
The Impact of a Childhood Cancer Diagnosis on the Whole Family
As a parent, remember that you're not alone in this journey; your child's oncologist and care team are there to guide you and provide information and answers. Oncological social workers are a fantastic resource to help you sort out the financial aspects of cancer treatment, as well as other cancer-related issues.
The Value of Using a Social Worker During Treatment
Skilled psychologists and counselors can be accessed to help you maintain good mental health through your child's cancer journey, to the best of your ability.
And don't be afraid to reach out to your support systemfriends, family, etc.for help through this process. No one expects you to handle everything on your own.
Contributing by SurvivorNet staff.
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.