Abstract:
Background: The impact of childhood cancer on the family has been studied in different cultures and
continues to be an object of study and concern, In Lebanon, a country of 4 million people 282 new
pediatric cases of cancer age <20 years diagnosed in 2004 were reported in 2008.
Objectives: The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of Lebanese families living with
a child with cancer.
Method: The study followed purposeful sampling in which 12 parents (mother or father) of a child with
cancer were interviewed. Data were analyzed following the hermeneutical process as described by
Diekelmann and Ironsides (1998).
Results: A constitutive pattern “It is a continuous battle” and five themes emerged from the data analysis.
Living with the shock of the diagnosis; Alterations in the quality of the family’s life; Living with added
burdens; Disease impact on the family and sibling dynamics; Living with uncertainty represent the major
themes that emerged from the participants’ experiences while living with a child with cancer.
Conclusion: The study contributes to the knowledge that would help health care professionals understand
the experiences and challenges that are faced by Lebanese families living with a child with cancer.
This awareness would serve as a basis for health care professionals in general and nurses in particular to
understand parents’ experiences, and offer support, elicit communication of feelings, and examine
possibilities for forming a partnership during the challenging course of the child’s illness. Supported
parents are more likely to provide more effective care to their child with cancer.
