This episode of The Dragonfly Effect podcast focuses on how Dragonfly provides emotional, relational and practical support for its families in critical times during and after treatment. Devon shares how Dragonfly supported her family in a way no one else could, becoming a beacon of light in dark times while her family struggled with isolation and financial pressure throughout her son’s cancer treatment. She also describes ongoing challenges related to recovery and survivorship.
The process of diagnosis and then establishing the best protocol for a pediatric cancer diagnosis is like going to war. Truly. There is so much waiting and anxiety associated with that, as well as managing a scared and sick child, dealing with a job, other kids other obligations and then back to the unknowns associated with cancer. Just writing this …
I realize this is sort of a crazy topic to approach on my second blog post for The Dragonfly Foundation, but stay with me here. I promise this isn’t a tutorial on the research process and how to generate meaningful statistics. In fact, just writing that sentence made me want to splash ice water in my face and walk briskly …
“It’s scan week and the anxiety is in full on crazy mode. There is a term we (“we” being other parents of kids with cancer) use to describe this feeling- scanxiety. It isn’t so much anxiety about what might happen this week, it is anxiety because of what already happened. We have already heard the words “your child has cancer” …
“Most days life feels…”normal”…again. Get up. Take the kids to school. Go to work. Come home. Go to bed. Do it all over again day in and day out. Everyone sees that you are back to a “normal” routine again and while that is great 99% of the time… That 1% where it’s not okay sneaks up out of nowhere. …
Quotes from Dragonfly Families: “I have no family here and I could have never made it through without this support system. And I’m not a support group kinda girl!…somewhere the thing that isn’t immediately obvious is not just the care and support you provide the patients. It’s the support system you create for the families. (I’m crying) We are all …
“When a social worker suggested Dragonfly and told me that they did lots of fun activities, I thought I would never have another day of fun in my life and neither would my child. However, I joined for my child’s sake, thinking she needed support outside the family. Dragonfly has done so much for our family! I’ve found support not …
From a Dragonfly Mom: “Does anyone else ever wonder when enough is enough? The constant doctors appointments for all different issues. Everyone thinks R is handling it all so well because she has a smile on her face when they see her. But no one is there at night when her PTSD doesn’t allow her to sleep or the nightmares …
We have heard that many of these songs and more provide comfort to our families. If they can do this for them, they may provide comfort to you during stressful times. Check out any or all of these!! “Overcomer” by Mandisa “Anyway” by Martina McBride “I’m Gonna Love You Through It” by Martina McBride “In My Daughters Eyes” by Martina …
Reprinted with permission from the Dragonfly mom that wrote this post on our private Facebook page for our Dragonflies. “My favorite (thing people say) is, “You are so lucky this happened when J was a baby so he’ll never remember it.” First, I don’t put the word ‘lucky” into the same sentence that states my child has cancer. Second, he …
