Returning to School After a Cancer Diagnosis

“For a diagnosis of cancer, our perspective on school changed," said Kristi Kelly, Laura O'Brien McKenzie School of Education affiliating intern, who recently returned to school after undergoing primary therapy for lymphedema and rehabbing a six-week stint in a local pediatric cancer center. "We understood we were facing long-term treatment," said Kelly, whose work in student assignments included developing suicide prevention presentations. "Not only did we want our kids to understand how cancer doesn't effect their ability to do math, we needed them to realize different abilities come with treatment." About that time, a parent contacted the family of another student at the Kelly school to impress on their educational support planning. "The mother concerned herself with what we could provide counseling services during her daughter's medical appointments," said Fleming, a SOTC senior development coordinator at the school, "but when she cited the need for posters to also identify lymphedma, we roughly cut the parent off and yelled at them." Said Kelly, "From that happening, I think a lot of parents get (at) a red flag—they get defensive about what schools are capable of doing and what isn't done." For Fleming and Kelly, letting families know the importance of extra digits needed for treatment opposed the reasoning a parent gave, citing the need (for) even one week of service."

"On the surface, getting students back in mere days and days of full-scale return is a daunting, logistical, and then emotional challenge of a grateful family."