Becoming a mother of a child with cancer: building motherhood

Caring for a Child with Cancer: Impact on Mother's Health

“…The everyday life process of the mothers with children suffering from leukemia is a complex and culture-oriented one, to the extent that most studies emphasize the effect of culture on decision-making and defining the roles in these families (Wills, 1999;Patistea et al, 2000;Huang et al, 2008;Moreira and Angelo, 2008;Khoury et al, 2013). The findings of the present study also showed that the Iranian women's belief in maternal role is very effective in their everyday life process after the child is being diagnosed with leukemia.…”

“…However, since they always lived in the shadow of the disease, their life process condition never became as good as it was before their children get the disease. Other studies with similar findings have also shown that uncertainty and concern are the main issues that shape mothers' lives and behaviors and guide their life process (Bjork et al, 2005;Moreira and Angelo, 2008;Khoury et al, 2013). In his theory entitled "A model of the family transition to living with childhood cancer", Clarke-Steffen (1997) mentions that living with uncertainty is a part of a new normal in family life process after a child's disease.…”

“…This made them prefer their children and other family members to themselves and constantly ignore their emotional and physical needs while they were desperately in need of receiving support. Other studies also indicate that these mothers put a lot of effort into establishing a balance in their family (McGrath, 2001;Young et al, 2002;Bjork et al, 2005;Woodgate, 2006;Moreira and Angelo, 2008;Taleghani et al, 2012).…”

“…Some specific characteristics of childhood often make a parent responsible for direct childcare and active accomplishment of other tasks. In most societies, mothers are mainly responsible for child and family care and support (Moreira and Angelo, 2008;Khoury et al, 2013). As the core of families, they control education and promotion of children and are responsible for housework and health care of family members.…”

“…In other words, the caring role is the role expected from mothers who make use of a variety of strategies to play it. For example, they adjust their working hours or even resign inevitably from their jobs to do routine housework and to meet the needs of their children (Young et al, 2002 ;Moreira and Angelo, 2008). The results of studies indicate that mothers often play the role of the main caregiver and fathers undertake the responsibility of paying family expenses and health care costs (Wills, 1999;Taleghani et al, 2012).…”