A Phenomenological Study of the Family, Social, and Interpersonal Experience of Pediatric Cancer Patients

Current literature highlights the difficulties faced by a cancer patient and the benefits of support for emotional well-being. Healthy siblings, however, are often reported in the literature as the least supported and least researched members of a family receiving care for pediatric cancer. The researcher believes there is a need to hear directly from the siblings to fully understand the experiences they are having growing up with a brother or sister diagnosed with cancer. The primary objective of the current research was to compare and contrast information obtained from semi-structured interviews of 5 school-age participants across the domains of social, family, and intrapersonal experience. Each participant had a brother or sister, between birth and 20 years of age, receiving active or maintenance cancer treatment at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. The research followed a qualitative design, utilizing phenomenological analysis to define the essence of the experience of being a sibling of a brother or sister with cancer. The experience of being a sibling of a pediatric cancer patient incorporates feelings of support and resiliency, fear and isolation, empathy and increased selfawareness. These children consider their ill brothers and sisters as confidants. The siblings turn to their peers for emotional support. However, they also become introspective when confronted with emotions of fear and sadness. Each sibling recognized a positive element of personal growth during the brother or sister's cancer treatment. The findings revealed that being a sibling of a pediatric cancer patient is not easy, but there are recognized strengths within the group. Having friends is a huge support. In addition, recognizing positive changes in one's own personality can be actualizing and motivating. Existing obstacles include the physical absence of the ill sibling from school causing distress for the sibling. Isolation rather than personal connection can impair family communications. The findings are supported by much of the literature available regarding domains of healthy sibling functioning. However, findings of the current phenomenological research did not identify a decreased social quality of life. The participants reported the importance of having friends as positive sources of support. The findings create a foundation for continued research comparing multiple siblings in a family, distinguishing siblings of patients on active and maintenance treatment from siblings