ABSTRACT
Little is worse for parents than learning that their child has a life-threatening illness. The diagnosis itself implies pain and hopelessness, and seems to preclude all joyful expectations for a normal, satisfying life together. As such, it is responded to not just as a threat for the future but as a real and actual loss, beginning at the moment the news is broken. In order to understand the way in which children respond to a life-threatening illness, one must first understand something of the nature of childhood, and the meaning of the illness to the child who is experiencing it. The struggle to attain complete adulthood is not an easy one. Myriad obstacles to progress present themselves—some environmental, some due to the child’s own immaturity, or inherent limitations. In overcoming these, the child needs courage, determination, and the support and encouragement of all those around him, most especially of those whom he loves and trusts.
