CINCINNATI — Mental health experts warn that the emotional effects from a cancer diagnosis can last long after treatment ends. That can be especially true when the diagnosis belongs to a child.
For one family, it took a team of supporters to help them cope, and experts say there are more facing the same battle.
“It’s still hard to wrap my head around, even though I know it’s my reality now,” said Taylor Fox, the mother of a childhood cancer patient.
At just two years old, her daughter Tessa got ill and was diagnosed with cancer, a rare type of leukemia. It was a diagnosis that turned their world upside down overnight.
“I was afraid. I was nervous because I didn’t know what the future held for her. I was devastated that she was even having to go through all this,” said Fox.
The two years that followed were filled with treatments, long nights in the hospital and uncertainty until the very end.
“She ended up having, basically, having a heart attack brought on by the medications, and I was in the hospital with her when it happened,” said Fox.
Mental health experts say the emotional impact of a cancer diagnosis goes beyond the physical impact on the patient.
“Our caregivers have a lot on them, so they’re managing medications. They’re kind of the emotional backbone for their child’s coping. They are serving as advocates for their child,” said Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Pediatric Psychologist Dr. Naomi Joffee.
Joffee and her team say so far this year they’ve helped provide care to about 30 new caregivers.
“We know that when caregivers are in this situation with their loved ones, that’s kind of the first thing to go is focus on themselves. So, we want to make sure that our caregivers are eating regularly throughout the day,” said Joffee.
It’s that kind of support that Fox calls her saving grace.
“There is one thing that my therapist mentioned: she mentioned Tessa wouldn’t want me to be upset over her loss,” said Fox.
She carries the message with her and hopes to remind the next family that you’re not alone.
“It’s not going to be an easy path, but as long as you reach out for the help, it’s there,” said Fox.