An interrupted childhood
When a child is diagnosed with a chronic illness, the first priority is medical. But illness affects much more than the body.
More than health
Time in hospital
Long periods away from home and routine.
School and learning
Missing school and falling behind, sometimes repeating grades.
Friends and classmates
Being separated from the people they play with.
Play
Fewer chances to take part in ordinary childhood activities.
Belonging
Stigma and feeling different from their peers.
Routines and experiences
Losing important routines and social experiences.
Confidence
Fewer chances to explore interests and build self-belief.
Identity
Growing up with an identity shaped around being a patient.
The child is still growing, learning and developing, but many of the experiences that support that development have been disrupted. We call this an interrupted childhood.
How it feels
These disruptions affect how children feel about themselves. Children may experience anxiety around treatment, loneliness, low self-esteem and a sense of being defined by their diagnosis.
Adolescents may face added pressure around identity, their future and stigma among peers, and families carry stress that children often sense.
In busy health settings these needs are rarely the first priority, and they often go unaddressed.
Be part of the story
Every story read, game played and friendship made gives a child something treatment cannot.
