Childhood Cancer Ireland provides practical and emotional support to children, adolescents and young adults with cancer, survivors and their families.
Psychosocial Support
Psychosocial support refers to a combination of psychological, emotional and practical support – recognising that all three affect our wellbeing, particularly during and after childhood, adolescent or young adult cancer.
With Dr Mairead Brennan as our Principal Clinical Psychologist and Director of Psychosocial Services, Childhood Cancer Ireland ensures that families have access to the right kind of support when they need it and at the right level of expertise.
Connect & Learn Parent Days
Childhood Cancer Ireland brings parents together to connect and learn, alongside our experts as we explore shared experiences and ways to strengthen families after childhood or adolescent cancer.
Putting the pieces back together
Receiving a diagnosis of childhood, adolescent or young adult cancer pulls the rug from under the entire family without warning. This new world, with its own language and treatment schedule, keeps you so busy that you often don’t have time to breathe until treatment is over.
Where do we go from here? How do we put the pieces back together?
The parents are the foundations of the family, so we know that looking after you is the first step in looking after your family.
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Beads of Courage®
Beads of Courage® enable children to tell their story using colourful beads as meaningful symbols of courage.
Every bead marks the courage displayed throughout their treatment and gives children and young people something tangible they can use to understand and explain their experiences.
Every child is unique, every treatment path is unique and every string of beads is unique.
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Webinars
We hold expert-led webinars on a range of topics, including education and parenting while your child is in treatment.
Here you will find updates on upcoming webinars, as well as access to recordings of previous sessions.
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Parent Peer Support
This evidence-based programme connects parents or adult family members (aunts, uncles, grandparents) with a trained, volunteer Peer Supporter to help you navigate through your child or young person’s cancer and beyond.
This programme is about connection at a time when parents need it most. Our Parent Peer Supporters will provide an empathetic, compassionate, and friendly source of support, as well as sharing practical knowledge on the supports and services that might be helpful.
Contact us if you’d like to find out more or to speak to a parent peer support volunteer.
Access to Play Therapy / Psychotherapy
We know that a diagnosis of childhood or adolescent cancer has a huge impact on the entire family. We also know that the emotional effects can last long after treatment has ended. We offer families an opportunity to access play therapy for a child or psychotherapy for a teen who has cancer, or their sibling.
Find out more.
Financial Pathways Through Childhood Cancer
A diagnosis of childhood, adolescent or young adult cancer can leave families reeling financially, as well as emotionally. It can be difficult to navigate your way through the assistance that is available to families during treatment or to figure out what financial products (such as insurance) you may have yourself that could help.
Financial Advice and Information
We are delighted to partner with LIA, the Centre of Excellence for the education and development of financial professionals, to offer free access to financial advice, information and planning to help you manage your finances, both during and after treatment. We will launch the partnership with a series of webinars to help parents begin to navigate this difficult topic.
Find out more
Your Treatment Outside of Crumlin
Many children living outside Dublin also attend one of the 16 shared care / regional hospitals. There, they are treated in isolation rooms, which they cannot leave to use the playroom or other ward facilities.
We aim to improve facilities and supports for these children attending the 16 shared care/ regional hospitals, when not required to be in St. John’s Ward.
We fund equipment including wall-mounted cardiac monitors and thermometers, TVs, DVD players, Play Stations and other gaming devices, electric beds, lie-flat day beds for parents and vinyl wall art to brighten up the isolation rooms.
Completed Locations
Mullingar Regional Hospital
University Hospital Waterford
University Hospital Kerry, Tralee
Portiuncula University Hospital, Balinasloe
Sligo University Hospital
Letterkenny University Hospital
Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda
Ongoing Projects
Wexford General Hospital
Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise
Mayo University Hospital
University Hospital Limerick
St. Luke’s General Hospital Carlow/Kilkenny
University Hospital Galway
Cavan General Hospital
Mercy University Hospital
South Tipperary General Hospital
Advocacy
Advocacy is at the heart of our mission of achieving health justice for all children, adolescents, young adults with cancer and survivors (CAYAS), across Ireland.
We are dedicated to being the voice of children with cancer in Ireland. We do this by raising public awareness of the many issues affecting CAYAS, their families and communities and influencing policy at national level to ensure equal access to the most up to date treatment protocols, research and supportive services.
Read more about our work as the voice of children’s cancer in Ireland.