Sometimes they don't go away. Sometimes they last into the waking hours and sometimes, adults are more scared that the children. For parents in this position, a new booklet published by The Methodist Hospital's Cancer Program in Houston offers some guidance. When You Have Cancer, written by The Methodist Hospital Cancer Program Coordinator Gretchen Curry, deals specifically with cancer but its approach and advice is universal enough to apply in many situations. The 16-page booklet explains, in English and Spanish, how children of any age can react to the news that a parent has cancer.
Kids seem to be a lot more grown up nowadays and people assume that a certain age makes an adult.
Try and put yourself back into that age - you'll see that fear is tough to deal with no matter how old you are. The book stresses the importance of being honest in discussing serious illness with family members. It also offers tips on how to muster family support and lists a number of organized resources that people can call. The project is personal for Curry. When she was 19 years old her mother died of ovarian cancer.