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Mental Health Support for Childhood Cancer Survivors

Posted on March 11, 2021 by Claire Slaughter

$1M Donation to Help POGO Transitions Program Expand Services


POGO is a proud recipient of a $1M donation from the Slaight Family Foundation as part of their $30M Mental Health Initiative supporting 19 Canadian organizations.

The funding, divided equally over four years, enables expansion of the POGO School and Work Transitions Program. This program supports childhood cancer survivors facing significant learning challenges—resulting from their cancer and/or treatment—which can interfere with their ability to achieve their educational and career goals. Furthermore, the impact of COVID-19 on the mental and emotional well-being of childhood cancer survivors has been substantial. Many are experiencing heightened anxiety regarding school or job security. Due to underlying conditions they may have as a result of their disease or its treatment, they fear they are at higher risk for developing complications if they catch COVID-19.

POGO Counsellors work one-on-one with survivors to help them develop plans and implement strategies to improve their academic or employment success, which in turn supports their mental health and emotional well-being. POGO will expand school- and work-related counselling to childhood cancer survivors, including services for francophone survivors and youth still on treatment, and grow the skill- and community-building Survivor-to-Survivor Network. We will also enhance program evaluation by incorporating outcomes related to survivor mental health and emotional well-being.

This generous investment, the largest donation from a family foundation in POGO’s history, helps POGO achieve an objective of the Childhood Cancer Care Plan to improve access to psychosocial and mental health services for survivors. It also demonstrates confidence and trust by a prominent donor in POGO to positively impact the childhood cancer care system, in particular care for childhood cancer survivors. 

Posted in In the News | Tagged childhood cancer survivors, Donation, mental health, POGO Transitions Program, Slaight Family Foundation

MY CHILD SURVIVED CANCER, SO WHY AM I DISTRESSED?

Posted on January 29, 2020 by Claire Slaughter

At 10 years old, Tyler was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer called acute myeloid leukemia. His only chance for survival was a stem cell transplant. With no full match on the horizon, his brother Jahni (a partial match) eventually became his donor. Read the full story: How Jahni Saved His Brother’s Life. 


By: Melody D

It was only five months between Tyler’s diagnosis and his last cancer treatment, but every moment during that period was so intense and foreign to anything I’d ever experienced; it actually felt like years.

When we were in the hospital, my friends and family would comment on how admirable it was that I could stay calm and strong through it all. Looking back, I really don’t know how I managed. Two years later, my anxiety is still overwhelming and at times I find it hard to cope with the normal things. For example, if my son comes home tired from school, I panic and look for other symptoms like a temperature. The thought of him going on an overnight school trip will trigger my anxiety and “what ifs”. My mind thinks of worst-case scenarios and I get overwhelmed. The post-traumatic stress is very real.

What it takes to be a “strong mom” changes when your child is a cancer survivor.

Sometimes people ask why I’m stressed—after all, Tyler is in remission and doing exceptionally well. I can’t explain it except to say that when your child is diagnosed with cancer, your body and mind go into survival mode; you have no other choice. I did what I needed to do to get through it one day at a time. I wasn’t able to fully process everything that was happening at the time, so I guess this is what I’m doing now—processing it.

POGO-supported research explores the mental health of mothers and siblings of children with cancer.

Tyler has crossed many milestones which I’m grateful for, but there are days when I dwell on uncertainty. Vivid memories randomly pop up when I do normal things, like run errands or when I’m driving. Some good, some not so good. Sometimes memories make me cry. When I have these days, I can get sad, irritable or worried. It’s a unique thing to go through, to say the least, but talking through it with other cancer moms who can relate is very helpful.

Perhaps I’ll feel better when he hits the third-year remission mark, or fourth, or fifth—I don’t know. For now, if I’m feeling crappy, I won’t suppress it. I acknowledge that I’m still healing and let myself feel my way through my emotions one day at a time.

Posted in Misc | Tagged AML, anxiety, BellLetsTalk, Childhood Cancer Survivor, mental health, Mental Health Awareness, parenting, psychosocial

Workshop – Strategies for Optimizing Community Resources to Address Mental Health Issues

Posted on May 30, 2017 by Jamie Irvine

VIEW THE PRESENTATION

Presentation Description:
This workshop will explore the complexities of managing mental health symptoms when they arise during treatment, as well as potential collaborative models of care to help facilitate improved quality of life outcomes for this population of children and families.

Speakers:
Jane Cassano, MSW, RSW
Pediatric Oncology Social Worker, McMaster Children’s Hospital, Hamilton, ON

Jane Cassano has been a pediatric oncology social worker at McMaster Children’s Hospital for the past 18 years. Her focus has been adolescents with cancer and their transition to off therapy. In recent years, Jane has been advocating for mental health services for pediatric oncology patients.

Danielle Cataudella, PsyD, CPsych
Clinical Psychologist, Departments of Pediatric Psychology and Oncology, Children’s Hospital, London Health Sciences Centre, London, ON Adjunct Professor Schools of Medicine and Psychology, Western University, London, ON

Danielle Cataudella is a clinical psychologist at Children’s Hospital, London, Ontario. She completed her doctoral degree and residency program in 2002, and is registered with the College of Psychologists of Ontario with specialized practice in health and rehabilitation across the lifespan. For the past 15 years, the focus of her work has been in the area of pediatric oncology. She has been involved in multi-centre provincial and national research studies including validation of a family distress screening tool in Ontario, the development of an instrument to assess quality of life in children with advanced cancers, and a social skills intervention for childhood brain tumour survivors. Dr. Cataudella is a member of the Children’s Oncology Group’s Behavioural Science Discipline and is actively involved in the Patient-Reported Outcomes Sub-Committee. She has served on several POGO committees, currently acting as Co-Chair of the Psychosocial Services Committee and member of the Provincial Research Unit; she is also collaborating with the Supportive Care Committee on the development of fatigue guidelines for this population.

Posted in 2017 Satellite Education Day | Tagged 2017 Satellite Education Day, emotional health, mental health, patient care

Managing Behavioural Changes During Treatment for Leukemia

Posted on May 29, 2017 by Jamie Irvine

 


VIEW THE PRESENTATION

Speaker:
Nina Kadan-Lottick, MD, MSPH
Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Director of HEROS Survivorship Program
Leader Clinical Trial Program
Section of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology
Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT

Dr. Kadan-Lottick, a pediatric hematologist-oncologist, is an Associate Professor at the Yale University School of Medicine and Director of the Yale HEROS Program for childhood cancer survivors. Dr. Kadan-Lottick’s research has concentrated on measuring and optimizing outcomes after treatment of childhood cancer, with an emphasis on leukemia. These studies have included cross-sectional and longitudinal studies of chemotherapy-induced cognitive changes, anxiety and depression, and family functioning during and after therapy. She was the principal investigator of two large multi-site longitudinal studies of quality of life outcomes and emotional functioning in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia enrolled on front-line Children’s Oncology Group (COG) clinical trials. As a part of her focus on survivorship outcomes, Dr. Kadan-Lottick serves on the Children’s Oncology Group Survivorship Steering Committee, the Psychology Committee of the Childhood Cancer Survivorship Cohort Study, Consortium for New England Childhood Cancer Survivors Steering Committee, and the Board of Trustees for the Connecticut Chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. She has also helped to author and revise the COG Long-Term Follow-up Guidelines.

Posted in 2016 Symposium | Tagged emotional health, leukemia, mental health, Symposium 2016

Still Standing by Jamie Irvine

Posted on January 20, 2017 by Kelly Zorzi

Jamie holding one of his TWO diplomas with honours

#BellLetsTalk #mentalhealthawareness

My cancer was discovered late. Doctors estimated that even with a bone marrow transplant my odds were still only 55% at best.

Three years of treatment (including two failed bone marrow transplants) resulted in a plethora of late effects: cataracts, preset osteoporosis, stunted growth, damage to my pancreas, changes in my skin pigmentation and a few others. That said, for me the worst part was not the effects on my body but the mental impact of it all. There was the feeling of isolation that came with being a kid in cancer treatment during my formative years; the fear of relapse and believing I was just on “borrowed time”; the self-deprecating thoughts that I didn’t earn my grades, my teachers just pitied me; and finally, the guilt of surviving when others did not.

Many of us childhood cancer survivors know at least one person who did not make it. I actually know a few but the one who stands out for me is Andy. Andy came to our school in grade 10 after just having finished treatment for leukemia. I thought we would bond over our shared cancer experience, but it turned out Andy wasn’t interested in talking about his illness. Still we became fast friends. In grade 12 when he relapsed, doctors gave him a low chance of survival. He decided to forgo treatment and within a few months, Andy passed away. I remember when I got the news one of the first things to pop into my head was, “I wish it was me.” To this day, the guilt of that being one of my first thoughts has etched itself into my brain and soul.

When high school ended, I decided to push the negative thoughts deep down. At that time, I decided to go to college for social work. I often tell people that I chose the field because I wanted to give something back for all the help I received. In reality that is only partially true. The other reason was that I wanted to make sure no other kid turned out like me.

After completing a Bachelor’s in Social Work from Carleton University, I was only able to get part-time work. I was seriously underemployed and despite my efforts, had difficulty launching a full-time career. All of those negative thoughts started to bubble to the top. The voice in the back of my mind told me I was broken and worthless and within a short period, I started to believe it. I secretly wished that I had died during my treatment or that I would develop a secondary cancer. I had hit rock bottom.

It was during a routine checkup at Princess Margaret Hospital that I met a nurse practitioner who sensed something was off and asked some questions. It was the first time in years that someone in the healthcare field seemed to care about my mental state (not just the physical) and it just all came bursting out. She recommended therapy and gave me the contact information for the survivor care program at POGO.

With a few months, my confidence started to grow. I was volunteering at POGO and I started to get interviews with government agencies and major non-profits. Even though I was not hired, I always received great feedback and was often told that I was within the top three final candidates.

Soon a position opened up at POGO and I was recommended for the job. To my surprise, I got it and now work as an Administrative Assistant for POGO’s Financial Assistance Program and Education Events. Even though I still have moments where negative thoughts creep into my mind, I feel as if this is where I belong and thanks to my supervisor and the other POGO staff, I continue to grow both on a personal and professional level.  

I now know that I am not worthless and broken. And although treatment has left me physically and mentally battered and bruised, I am still standing.

For more on survivor guilt read Leanne Brown’s story on page 23 of POGO’s 2016 Community Impact Report

Posted in This is My Story | Tagged emotional health, Jamie Irvine, mental health

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April 15, 2021

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