When you have a child who is going through cancer, it’s difficult to give ample attention to many of life’s other demands — and that may include nurturing other relationships. Unfortunately, for parents caring for a child with cancer, the strain of the situation can really damage the relationship. Jayne Wexler, an NYC-based photographer whose son Justice is a childhood cancer survivor, said she saw many couples struggle and eventually break under the intense pressure.
“When we were in the hospital, we met a lot of couples, and a lot of people don’t stay together because they can handle this,” Jayne told SurvivorNet. “Fortunately, we [she and her husband] were very strong and we stayed together.”
Read MoreHealth Challenges Can Bring Families Closer
Research published in The Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine studied the impact of disease on family members. It found that most chronic diseases have similar psychological effects on family members, including emotional functioning, disruption of leisure activities, effect on interpersonal relationships, and financial resources.
Feelings of “helplessness, lack of control, anger, embarrassment” are some common emotions parents, siblings, and other relatives within the household of someone battling a health condition may experience, according to researchers.
Other ways a disease, for example, may impact the lives of family members include:
- Affecting sleep
- Concerns about medical treatment
- Altered food choices
- Using religion, spiritual, and cultural beliefs to cope
- Concerns about understanding the disease or illness
- Needing support from others
- Limited freedom
- Worrying about the death of a loved one
When a child is battling cancer, parents or adult caregivers often bear the brunt of the diagnosis, according to a study published in Health Expectations, an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy.
“Parents have substantial responsibilities advocating for their child,” researchers in the study said.
“[Parents] responsibilities have an enormous impact on the family: going out of the home becomes a challenge, there are constant constraints on time, parents are sleep-deprived, and there are wider impacts on siblings,” researchers added.
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
ANSWER QUESTIONS
