Living with Cancer: A Child's Story
September 2001 — On her fifth birthday, Erica Acuna got a surprise that no parent would ever wish for his or her child: a diagnosis of bone cancer.
It all started last year on the day after Easter, when Erica was overcome by leg pain so severe that she ended up in the emergency room. Doctors found a suspicious growth, and three weeks later, they learned it was malignant.
Upon hearing that their child is seriously ill, a parent's first instinct might be to set drastic limits on the child's daily activities, but that shouldn't be the case, says Maggie Hansen, Nurse Manager, Pediatrics.
"Even though a child may be hospitalized, it's good to maintain normalcy of living. That's why we teach parents to integrate schoolwork, friendships, and activities into the child's day."
Normalcy is especially important for long-term patients like Erica, who goes to Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital every three weeks for inpatient treatment lasting several days at a time.
"In the beginning, it was devastating, but it's easier now," says Robyn. "They told us it's all in the attitude of the parents, so my husband and I made a pact to treat her as normally as possible. Every time we leave the hospital, we fall right back into our normal routine, like taking her to her friends' birthday parties."
Even inside the hospital, life is surprisingly normal for Erica and the thousands of other pediatric patients who are treated there every year.
Though there are medications and IV poles and other reminders of a hospital setting, the hospital has made every effort to create a kid-friendly environment, including a brightly decorated playroom and an outdoor playground. Best of all, the hospital has a staff of child life specialists to cover the children's psychosocial needs. Providing pre-op education, therapeutic play, and emotional counseling, they help young patients and their families cope with the challenges of a hospital stay.
Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital is so committed to maintaining a normal environment for children that it made arrangements with the Broward County School Board to bring teachers to the hospital to help patients with their studies. It is a service utilized by about half of the children, according to Hansen.
Now in kindergarten, Erica Acuna is a bright, lively girl who keeps up with her classmates by working with those teachers. One of them even tutors her at home. For the little girl who was once afraid of simple vaccinations, it's been a triumphant year. "Her courage makes us all strong," says Erica's mother, Robyn.
Comprehensive Treatment
Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital is one of the most comprehensive pediatric hematology and oncology programs in the region. It provides on-site medical and nursing care and laboratory and pharmacy services, plus full-service care and support for patients with sickle cell disease, aplastic anemia and other serious illnesses. Because of its participation in research and its active cancer registry, the cancer program is nationally accredited by the American College of Surgeons.
For information about the pediatric hematology and oncology program, please call Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital at (954) 987-2000.