A cancer diagnosis is devastating at any time, and is especially heartbreaking when you have young kids. Being a parent to young kids is tough enough without a chronic illness and debilitating side effects from treatment. The following is some resources and tips that my husband and I found very useful. I will be adding more to this blog so watch this space!

Don’t be afraid to ask for, and accept, help immediately when diagnosed. You will need it.

• I found that people really want to help, and taking the kids was extremely helpful and made friends and family feel useful. It was great on those really bad chemo days and when coming down from the steroids. It was also a great help when the kids had germs that I was trying to avoid.
• If you do not have friends and family nearby that can help, or you need extra help, there are subsidised services available. Mummy’s Wish can help you apply for special government funding (Special Child Care Benefit-SCCB) that will cover the cost of day care and sometimes in home care as well.
• We received the SCCB for in home care with the wonderful Aunty Ali. She provided emotional support and practical assistance, minding our 2 girls, through the most difficult time of our lives. We could not have done it without her. She was literally a life saver.
• There is some great literature out there with regards to talking to kids about cancer. ANZGOG have also distributed a new comic book Understanding Ovarian Cancer to help children and young people understand the disease.