Long-term survivors of childhood cancer describe vivid memories of diagnosis, treatment, remission and returning to school, sharing both the shadow effect this has had on them as adults, and also the positive impact that dealing with a life-threatening disease has had in their lives.
Childhood cancer, particularly leukemia, is on the rise. Leukemia strikes one child in every 25,000, and most often does so between the ages of 3 and 7. Annually, more than 2,700 children are diagnosed with leukemia in the United States. Due to advances in biotechnology and medicine, survival rates for this once-deadly disease now stand at 80%. But the psychological effects of diagnosis, removal from school, treatment, and remission or cure, linger. Here nine long-term survivors of childhood leukemia share their vivid memories and give us insight into the physiological changes, psychosocial and educational difficulties that became a constant shadow in their lives. Author Nanci Sullivan provides recommendations for ways teachers, counselors and other professionals may better help young students with leukemia cope.
