"What gets me, is why they have to pick on people who have got leukaemia"

How to Cope with School

Some young people find school really hard to cope with at a time like this. It can be really hard to concentrate if you are worrying about what is happening at home or at the hospital.

"When I’m in school my Mum phones the school and asks if I can go back to my aunties after school. This day when she phoned she didn’t tell the secretary why and they come up and they say Amy you’ve got to go to your Aunty’s. I couldn’t stop crying ‘cos I didn’t know what’s happened to Jonathan. That was the point when I thought he was going to die everyday. I couldn’t get my mind off him and I was unhappy for about 3 months until I knew he was going to be ok."

"When you've got to do your homework in your bedroom, and you know something's wrong with your brother, he's in hospital or something's happened, you're trying to do your homework, you just can't think about it, you're just thinking about what's gonna happen to your brother ”

"If your sick brother or sister goes to the same school as you then the teachers will probably already know what is happening. If you are at another school, it might make things easier for you if you or another member of your family, a friend or a nurse told a teacher you get on well with, about your brother or sister. You could choose whether or not that teacher should tell your other teachers. It can make school much easier if there is someone around who understands what you are going through."

"What gets me, is why they have to pick on people who have got leukaemia"

A lot of young people find that their brother or sister with cancer gets teased or bullied because they look different.This can make you feel very angry. It can also be very difficult if you get teased because of your brother or sister. Try thinking of some things you could say if you get teased. How about:

"I wouldn’t expect you to understand how ill my brother is or what he’s going through to try and get better"

"Only cowards pick on people who are ill"

It can be really hard to not hit out, but if you can just say something calmly and walk away, you'll not get into trouble and probably make them think about how cruel they've been.

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