Site Search:

As a parent of a child with osteosarcoma, you will want to stay strong, help your sick child and keep the family together. This is a very tough job. This section provides tips for parents affected by osteosarcoma.

• How can I help as a parent?
• How do I get financial assistance?
• How do I deal with emotions in the family?
• Helpful Links about Dealing with Cancer in Your Family

How can I help as a parent?

Learn about the disease

Finding out about osteosarcoma is the first step. Learning will help you make better decisions about your child's care and better answer his or her questions. Knowledge will also prepare you for what you and your family will experience as your child battles osteosarcoma.

Be aware that childhood cancers are different from adult cancers. For example, children cancer can occur suddenly with little or no symptoms, may be treated differently, and may respond differently to treatment than adult cancers. It is important to learn how cancer affects children and, more specifically, osteosarcoma.

Talk with your child about his or her feelings and concerns

You may worry or even know that your child is upset. Depending on your child's personality and your relationship, they may or may not have talked to you already about specific feelings and concerns.

Open and honest communication will help you both deal with the osteosarcoma and may even bring your family closer together. Listen to your child's feelings and concerns and let them know your thoughts as well.

Help make decisions

Regardless of your role in your child's care, it is important that you become a member of your child's treatment team and support their decision-making.

Give honest answers to your child's questions

Your child may have questions that are difficult for you to answer, such as "Why me?", "Will I get well?" and "What will happen to me?". Although you may want to protect your child from any potentially traumatic news, your honesty is important in maintaining trust. Emphasize that every cancer case is different, and the experiences of others may be very different from their own. If your child is old enough to be involved in making decisions, you should support his or her quest for honest answers.

Help with supportive care to prevent and lessen side effects and pain

When you and your child select a treatment plan, potential short-term and long-term side effects should be considered. Once you select a plan and just prior to starting treatment, you should ask again about potential side effects so that you know what to expect.

Your child may be old enough to take primary responsibility in watching for side effects and taking steps to prevent or treat these effects. Ask your son or daughter how you can help. You may want to help watch for side effects, such as any sign of infection, trouble eating, digestive tract problems, change in mood, or other troublesome symptoms.

Help your child find other hobbies that are suitable for any new physical challenges he or she may now have.

Help your child return to school as soon as possible. This may involve talking to teachers about your child's disease and special needs or helping your child answer classmate's questions about osteosarcoma.

Take care of yourself and your family

Caring for a child with a serious illness will be a very difficult and trying time for you. Although you are caring for and helping your child, you may have work and other family responsibilities. However, you and your family need to maintain as normal a life as possible.

You should also be available for your other children. Spend time with them and talk with them about what's going on. Encourage them to stay active in their normal extracurricular activities.

You need to take care of yourself as well. Take time for the things you enjoy and share the care of your child with other family members and friends.

How do I get financial assistance?

Your family may have several financial concerns following the diagnosis of your son or daughter's osteosarcoma. Talk to the social worker at your child's treatment center about your financial and other related concerns. These links below may also help answer some of your questions.

Helpful Links about Insurance

Financial and Insurance Issues When Your Child Has Cancer (American Cancer Society)

This resource is published by the American Cancer Society. It discusses the types of insurance that are available for children with cancer. It also discusses indirect and direct costs that you may encounter throughout your child's treatment.

Insure Kids Now

InsureKidsNow is a national campaign to link the nation's uninsured children to free and low-cost health insurance. This Web site links you to your own state's children's health insurance program.

For Indiana Residents

Hoosier Healthwise

Hoosier Healthwise is a health insurance program for Indiana children, pregnant women, and low-income families. Health care is provided at little or no cost to Indiana families enrolled in the program. This site contains information about eligibility for Hoosier Healthwise, how to apply for the program, included benefits, and specific physicians who are part of the program.

How do I deal with emotions in the family?

Osteosarcoma will affect your family in many ways. You will experience extra stress, and there will be a change in your daily routine. It is important to communicate openly with your family about feelings and experiences, and help take care of each other's needs. Many families who deal with cancer find that their situation helps them communicate and appreciate each other better. This often causes families to grow closer and feel more connected than they did before the illness.

You may not be able to do it alone. Family support groups are available in most communities for families dealing with serious illnesses such as osteosarcoma.

Ask the social worker at your child's treatment center for more information about dealing with emotions, and ask for a listing of available support groups in your community. Additional online resources are listed below.

Helpful Links about Dealing with Cancer in Your Family

Children and Cancer: Information and Resources

This resource is published by the American Cancer Society (ACS). It provides information about causes, diagnosis, treatment, and coping with childhood cancer. Links are also provided to additional online resources as well as ACS printed publications (available by mail-order).

Emotions in the Family: From Diagnosis to Treatment

This resource is published by the American Cancer Society and provides information for parents dealing with a child's cancer diagnosis in their family.