Alesia was featured on 5 Minutes For Mom.com as a guest blogger. Read her article below!
Sick Child; Healthy Families by Alesia Shute
When Alesia Shute was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 7, her life was redirected as was that of her entire family. She would go on to survive six major surgeries that had never been tested on a child, several minor surgeries and countless hours of pain and months of hospitalization. Alesia had to grow up quickly and adjust to being sickly and different from others.
Alesia shares tips in this article for how a family can remain “healthy” despite dealing with serious illness in a child.
A chronically ill child effects the whole family
When you have a seriously or chronically ill child, it puts great stress on the entire family. The parents feel the strain and worry about the child’s illness, and they may also feel a financial burden as they cope with medical bills, and a sense of guilt as they try to balance taking care of the sick child, while spending time with the child’s other siblings.
As a child who spent years in cancer treatment, I know what it’s like to be the center of that parental focus. Now, as a healthy adult, I interact with many families of sick kids, and I see those patterns of stress continue. From my perspective as a sick kid, and my experiences now, I know how important it is to somehow nurture the entire family, even when one child is extremely ill.
Read the rest of Alesia’s guest submission here:
https://www.5minutesformom.com/50786/sick-child-healthy-families/
