Frightening things

Sonia liked to be with Ali when he was in hospital so that she could watch and make sure that he was ok. Nik liked being with his friends best. Sometimes Nik started thinking about Ali when he was trying to do something else. Nik found that playing football made it easier not to worry. Nik knew he was getting much better at football, but still couldn’t bounce the ball on his knee.

The Macmillan Nurse came to the school to tell the
children about Ali and his illness. Here are some of the
questions the children asked, see how many you can
answer;

Do children get the same sorts of cancer as adults?
Does the hair grow back after the end of the treatment?
Can you catch cancer?
Can the treatment make children feel more poorly before they feel better?

One day when Dad came home from the hospital he looked very sad and Sonia thought he might have been crying. Sonia felt very frightened "What if Ali dies" she cries to her Dad.

Dad cuddled Sonia for a long time while Sonia cried. After a while they started to talk.They remembered that the treatment for cancer gets better all the time and that there is a good chance that Ali will be ok. Dad said that whatever happens, they will always love all their children. Sonia felt a bit better.

Did you know...

Some questions seem too frightening to ask. Do you have any questions like this?
It’s very hard if you don’t know whether someone will get better. Sometimes it helps to think about all the good things that might happen.