As we kick-off pediatric cancer awareness month, our co-hosts Greg and Roxanne sit down with their very special guest Marc — Roxanne’s husband. Marc opens up about what it was like to be there for their daughter Aleyna’s cancer diagnosis when she was 6 years old. He also shares stories of their ensuing cancer fight and gives tips on navigating the emotional strain of it all.
We previously spoke with Roxanne in The UpBeat Podcast Episode 4 and hearing two unique viewpoints from the same family was eye-opening. When a family is rocked with a life-changing event like cancer, each individual is affected in such unique ways.
“The most touching part about that time now is I still have pictures of how frail she was and comparing her physical changes visually with the healthy and athletic woman she is growing into … it’s just a consistent reminder of how truly blessed we are,” Marc shared during his interview.
Their stories help us clearly understand that every person deals differently with something as impactful as a chronic diagnosis. Hopefully, we’ll get to hear from Aleyna next!
Thinking about Marc and Roxanne, we found some other good resources for recognizing and understanding how different people cope in different and equally effective ways — and we wanted to share some of our favorites:
KidsHealth.org shares guidance on how parents and kids each react to stress in their own ways and offers smart tips to find common ground, including: “When kids can’t or won’t discuss their stressful issues, try talking about your own.”
HealthyChildren.org shares a wonderful article from the American Academy of Pediatrics which outlines the various ways children of different ages process and handle emotional situations.
WebMD has an insightful article on the physiological reasons why men and women confront stress differently that also offers practical coping techniques for everyone.
The very thorough AllPsych blog shares the results of a psychological study emphasizing the benefits of varied coping methods and how they can actually mesh together to provide even more help.
Do you have advice on coping or a link to an article that has helped you? Feel free to comment below.
The UpBeat podcast is powered by CoachArt, a nonprofit organization that provides FREE art and athletic activities to families impacted by any childhood chronic illness – such as arthritis, asthma, diabetes, cancer, cerebral palsy and more.
If you have a child that may qualify for CoachArt programs, visit: CoachArt.org.
