What is your role at the Cancer Center?

I am a Child Life Specialist working with the Pediatrics Hematology/Oncology Team here at the Cancer Center. My role as a Child Life Specialist is to focus on the psychosocial, developmental and educational needs of the children entering the health care setting. A child entering the hospital may face many new experiences and situations that may be frightening to them. So to help eliminate some of these anxieties and fears, we provide familiar activities and toys in a therapeutic setting, which gives the children an opportunity to express themselves more easily and give them a sense of control of their environment. Although the children may be faced with different, sometimes tough situations, we want to make sure that the children are able to learn how to cope with these situations and at the same time, to continue to be themselves, children. This not only applies to children who are patients, but also to children who are siblings of patients.

In a nutshell, my role as a CLS at the Cancer Center is to interact with the children and their families; provide Playroom services for them; provide medical preparation; accompany children to medical procedures; and to help provide psychosocial support. Child Life Specialists foster healing and recovery by providing an environment in which the child feels safe to express their concerns and cope with fears that often accompany a visit to the hospital. This allows children to continue growing, learning, exploring, and creating.

I also help organize Camp Rainbow for our pediatric patients. This camp is held every summer, wherein our children are able to experience outdoor camp while being cared for by our wonderful medical staff. The Amie Karen Cancer Fund sponsors Camp Rainbow.

What kinds of activities do you lead for the children?

The children usually take the lead in what activities they want to do and from this, I try to integrate the activity with the therapeutic aspect of play. For example, a child may be playing with the dinosaurs pretending that they are sick. Then I would start to ask questions about the sickness and how it can get better. You'll be surprised at the information they can retain from visits to get treatment and from visits with their doctors. At the same time, they are able to reflect their feelings onto the object, which again allows for expression of fears and anxieties and also enables me to evaluate the needs of this particular patient and how we can best meet that need. In the playroom, the children can do arts and crafts projects, play with board games, watch a movie, the list is endless! I also do medical play with the children by playing with dolls that have a PICC line or a similar catheter as theirs and allow the child to manipulate the line and talk about what it is and what it does. This is a wonderful way to see how much a child knows about his/ her condition and what type of feelings he/she has towards it. I also coordinate teaching and providing distraction, guided imagery, and relaxation techniques to children during procedures or events that cause high levels of stress or anxiety. I coordinate medical prep for procedures like blood draws, lumbar punctures, bone marrow aspirations, etc. And also, there would be times when I need to be present during the procedure to provide support for the child and also for the medical team.

How does play help kids feel more comfortable with their treatment?

Play is fun and it is what the children do best. The children have control over what they want to do, and how they want to do things and when they want to do them. It is very cathartic because it allows children to use play as an outlet for their emotions that are mostly unknown to the adults around them. When kids come to the playroom, you can see their eyes light up with so much excitement. The Playroom becomes a world of their own wherein they can be what they want to be. It is like a safe haven for them, a "comfort zone." Most of all, they are relieved of the stress and anxieties they carry with them, at least for a while.

Play is not just for children. Studies have shown that play is very healthy and rejuvenating even for adults!

Are there special activities you do outside the Center as well?

I also work with the youth group of my church. I work alongside 5 other adults in helping the kids/teenagers (11-18-year-olds) of our church not only with their typical growing years but also with their spiritual growth. Most importantly, what makes this special to me is that it is Christ-centered. It is very special to see so many kids choose to live their lives for God than to be corrupted with the many things that are ruining so many young lives today.

How beneficial is it for kids to interact with other kids who are going through similar experiences? What do the children learn from each other?

It is very encouraging for the children to see and know that there are other children who can actually understand what they are going through. Patients who have been in treatment for a while usually are a good encouragement to the newer ones in discussing experiences. We also have to keep in mind that this type of interaction can be less beneficial some because people, in general, have different personalities and may react differently to different things.

What are the most challenging aspects of your work?

The job in itself is very challenging, but, so far, the most challenging aspect of my work would have to be working with children who have a hard time expressing their emotions. It's a challenge, but definitely workable. However, there is one ultimate challenge for me as a CLS, and that is realizing that sometime in my career, I would have to face losing a precious child to Cancer. No matter how prepared you are, you will still be affected in some way.

What do you find most rewarding?

Just to see a happy smile on the children's faces (when they are having a good day with their blood counts or their medications, etc.) gives me joy.

It was also very rewarding for me to receive a profound gesture of thanks from a patient that I had just finished helping with a procedure. He came back to the playroom after the procedure and ran towards me to give me a big hug. Although, he didn't say much, I knew that it was a hug filled with gratitude and appreciation. This is what makes my job worthwhile.

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