A parent's cancer is a family crisis. Children will adapt, however, if their fundamental physical and emotional needs are met, if they understand what is happening, and if they know that they will be cared for no matter what happens. Basing her efforts on those three perceptions and drawing on her expertise as a physician and her experience as a person with cancer, Harpham provides practical advice on caring for children of all ages during diagnosis and treatment and helpful insights for helping them cope with grief, loss, uncertainty, and fear of death. She accompanies her guidance for parents with a story for children--"Becky and the Worry Cup" --that illustrates the concerns kids have and how parents can help them cope. Both the guidebook and the story are sympathetic, sensitive to intense emotions, and, above all, empowering to parents and children facing the significant changes life-threatening illness demands of a family.
Kathryn Carpenter