If you’ve read my book, A Different Dream for My Child: Meditations for Parents of Critically or Chronically Ill Children, you know about Nic. He’s the young man who was diagnosed with neuroblastoma at age three. But if you don’t know Nic, let me introduce you to him and his medical condition. What’s Neuroblastoma? Neuroblastoma is the medical name for a type of childhood cancer...

The previous post suggested five ways parents of hospitalized kids can respond when people offer to help. The longer your child’s illness lasts, the more ways people can assist you. Here are five more ideas for the people who want to make your situation manageable. Pet Care Arrange for someone to care for your pets in your home or provide “foster care” in theirs. Laundry Have someone...

Who would you call if  your child was seriously injured or diagnosed with a critical illness or chronic condition? Your spouse? Your parents or siblings? Your closest friend? People who are extremely close to your child need to be contacted, but they might not be the best first contacts, especially if they tend to respond emotionally. A good first contact person is someone who meets several of the...