Childhood cancer profoundly affects the mental health of the entire family. This is why PASIC offers families professional counselling and art therapy to help support their mental wellbeing during this difficult time in their lives.
By offering professional counselling to parents and young people, and art therapy for younger children, families receive the support they need to face uncertainty, grief, and life after treatment. We support families from diagnosis, through treatment, and up to three years post-treatment, providing them with vital assistance throughout the entire journey.
We spoke to some families who have received counselling through PASIC about how it’s helped them (all names have been changed).
Calum’s Story
At the age of 10, Calum was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. After successfully undergoing a bone marrow transplant, he was able to ring the bell. However, when families are told their treatment has finished, it’s not the end of the journey. Cancer treatment has long-term impacts both physically and mentally.
“At the end of his treatment, Calum was referred by PASIC for play therapy because he was struggling emotionally.”
“He experienced reduced confidence and self-esteem due to his new appearance (hair loss, weight gain) and the fear resulting from numerous medical procedures.”
“After a few sessions, we noticed an improvement in Calum’s emotional well-being. He was happy and calm much of the time, and he has become more confident about attending school and more comfortable with his appearance.”
With PASIC’s help, we have once again seen Calum as a bright and happy child, thriving both at home and at school. Thank you, PASIC!
Evelyn’s Story
Evelyn and her son moved from Hungary to the UK. She is an independent, hardworking single mother. After experiencing complete burnout, she decided to take a break from work to recover from feeling down and to reduce anxiety attacks. Two weeks after leaving work, her son was diagnosed with Leukaemia. PASIC provided her with free counselling sessions to help her cope with this incredibly challenging period of her life.
“Our lives turned upside down in a minute.”
“Even though I was unsure about therapy at the beginning, I have to say that counselling is very helpful. It taught me that staying positive and keeping the child positive is essential on this journey.”
“If parents can’t cope, they won’t be able to help their children, so it’s really important to get support to deal with the pressure.”
“Asking for help was one of the hardest things for me, but counselling gave me the power to regain control, deal with the situation, and help my son through the treatment.”
Without this support, I wouldn’t have been able to do it. Thank you to everyone who made it possible.
Jasper’s Story
At the age of 6, Jasper was diagnosed with a form of testicular cancer. He was heavily impacted by his diagnosis; his mother recalls how he lost all confidence in himself. He withdrew, refusing to join in activities with friends and blaming cancer for making him ‘different’ from his peers. PASIC provided Jasper with art therapy sessions to help him emotionally recover from the impact of his cancer.
“It was a chance for him to open up and talk to someone else about his feelings and fears, but by doing this through creative therapy, he didn’t feel pressured to just talk.”
“When I was waiting for Jasper to finish his session, I would hear him laughing, which brought tears to my eyes as it had been so long.”
Jasper found the sessions really helpful and invaluable in helping him deal with his trauma.
Dionne’s Story
Dionne’s son was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma at the age of 14. A family support worker referred her to counselling.
“When you’re told your child has cancer, you have no idea how it will affect you. I thought I was doing okay, but then it all hit me at once, and I was a complete mess.”
“PASIC were amazing and very quickly arranged counselling for me. I can’t put into words how much this has helped me get through some of the worst days.”
“They gave me tips on how to cope with the massive range of feelings and made me realise everything I’m feeling is normal and okay.”
I would recommend counselling to anyone going through this awful time.
