“I believe that everything will be a success, and my child will live like everyone”: parents’ idea about the future of a child with cancer

Abstract

The problem of pediatric oncology involves a wide range of medical, economic, social, emotional, and other related problems. The family is one of the key accomplices in the process of diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and, most importantly, the resocialization of the child after overcoming cancer and building a strategy for his future. Based on the results of the medical and sociological survey of parents with children having cancer, the author noted that respondents ideas about the future of their child are determined by the peculiarities of their social situation and mainly have optimistic formulations. Their hope for the childs recovery is understood to be the key guarantee of the well-being of the future family. Nevertheless, expectations of overcoming the disease, expressed with a positive connotation, are also mirrored in the parents fears regarding the risks of cancer recurrence. In addition, the construction by parents of a positive picture of their childs future is associated with a stable financial situation, presence of siblings in the family, and the age of respondents is over 50 years.