Your child and family will be supported not only by your oncology team, but also psychologists, dietitians, rehabilitative services, child life and more. All of these team members are here to help support your child and family through treatment and beyond.
Nurse navigators:
They are your point people who:
- Provide all education for newly diagnosed families to help them know what to expect and how to meet their child’s needs at home
- Work with other nurses to organize multiple appointments and tests
- Coordinate discharge planning for inpatients
- Connect new families to “veterans” whose children are further along in the journey
- Answer emails and phone calls from parents who need information or additional support
- Talk to school nurses and teachers to make sure patients have what they need to be successful in school
- Coordinate referrals to other hospital departments, such as psychology, nutrition therapy, social work, and physical rehabilitation
Child life:
Our dedicated child life specialist focuses on emotional support and developmental needs. The child life staff uses play, preparation, education and self-expression activities to help patients cope with illness, injury, treatment and procedures. They also provide special touches like birthday celebrations and bell-ringing ceremonies at the end of treatment.
Learn more about child life here.
Nutrition:
When you are undergoing cancer treatment, eating can be challenging. But, it will help you feel better, keep up strength, tolerate treatments better, and heal faster. If your child is having trouble eating, our dietitians can help. They can also help you learn how to use food as a tool to help manage side effects of treatment. <link to this section of binder>
Psychology:
Cancer treatment can be very emotionally taxing on patients and their families. Our dedicated psychologist can help your child cope with their diagnosis and work through challenges throughout and after treatment.
Social work:
Able to help with financial resources as well as meeting with school nurses and teachers to help create positive learning environments for each individual child.
Rehabilitative services:
Cancer treatment can impact children’s physical abilities. Our rehabilitative services team works with your child to help with activities like walking, eating, speaking and more.
