Parents’ Experiences of What Comforts Them When Their Child is Suffering From Cancer

Abstract

The aim of the study was to describe parents’ narratives concerning what they find comforting when they have a child suffering from cancer. Interviews were conducted with 9 parents—8 mothers and 1 father—of children aged 3 to 9 years who were admitted to a pediatric oncology ward and had undergone their first treatment. The findings showed that the parents derived comfort from being close to their child, perceiving the child’s strength, feeling at home in the ward, being a family and being at home, and receiving support from their social network. Comfort experienced in communion with the child and others became important and helped the parents build a new normality perceived as being at home in life despite all their difficulties. Within the frame of communion, the parents seemed to experience moments of hope for their child’s recovery and survival.