How to help a family with a child with cancer

Childhood cancer is hard on everyone involved. Parents are suddenly balancing hospital stays, treatments and sleepless nights with work, household duties and trying to maintain a sense of normality for their other children. Siblings can feel left behind as every resource – time, money, energy – rightly becomes focused on the diagnosed child. Friends and relatives often want to help but don’t know how. The good news is that your support, offered thoughtfully and consistently, can make a world of difference. 

Understand what the family is facing 

Cancer turns family life upside down. Daily routines make way for hospital stays, endless medical appointments, and constant worry. Parents may need to stop working, and household finances can quickly become strained. Siblings might feel anxious or forgotten. 

Of course, every family’s situation is different. Some may welcome visitors and conversation; others might prefer privacy and rest. The best way to help a family with a child with cancer is to recognise that there’s no single right way to cope. 

Offer help thoughtfully 

Before rushing in, take a breath and listen. Ask what would genuinely make life easier for them. A simple “Would it help if I…” is far better than the open-ended “Let me know if you need anything.” 

Respect their privacy, and don’t push for details about diagnosis or prognosis. Families are often overwhelmed with questions already. What they need most is reliability, empathy, and space to choose how they accept help. 

Practical ways to help 

Small, steady gestures can lift an enormous weight. Consider: 

• Meal support: Organise and drop off freezer-friendly dinners. 

• Errands and transport: Offer to drive siblings to school or take a parent to the hospital. 

• Household help: Mow the lawn, take out bins, tidy the house or feed pets. These are invisible stresses that add up fast. 

• Financial assistance: Coordinating a fundraiser, covering a grocery shop or providing fuel vouchers can relieve financial pressure. 

• Sibling support: Offer playdates, sleepovers, homework help or transport to activities so life feels a bit more normal. 

Whatever you offer, following through is critical. Dependability is one of the kindest gifts you can give. 

Emotional and social support 

Families coping with childhood cancer often feel isolated. Regular check-ins – a quick text, call, a card, a funny photo – remind them they’re not forgotten. Be present without expectation: sometimes just sitting quietly over a cup of tea is enough. 

Encourage normal routines where possible. Help parents or siblings attend a sporting game, a birthday, or a simple walk in the park. These ordinary moments bring balance when life feels anything but ordinary. 

Families enduring cancer can feel isolated. Invite them to group and community events and offer one-on-one catchups. They might not have the time or energy to accept, but your invitation will make them feel included.  

What to say (and what to avoid) 

When words fail, honesty helps. Try gentle phrases such as: 

• “I’m so sorry you’re going through this.” 

• “I’m here for you.” 

• “That sounds really hard.” 

Avoid clichés like “Everything happens for a reason” or “Stay positive.” Skip medical theories or miracle cures – parents are already navigating expert advice. It’s OK to admit, “I don’t know what to say, but I care.” 

When professional support is needed 

Sometimes a family’s emotional or financial load becomes too heavy to carry alone. Signs they might need professional support include ongoing exhaustion, withdrawal, conflict or severe anxiety. Cancer Hub can connect families to counsellors, financial advisors and peer support programs – all designed specifically for those affected by childhood cancer. 

Helpful resources 

• Cancer Hub – free, Australia-wide support for families of children and young people with cancer. 

• Camp Quality – practical and emotional support for children aged 0–15 and their families. 

• Canteen – for young people (12–25) facing cancer themselves or in their family. 

• Redkite – financial and emotional support from diagnosis through recovery. 

• Cancer Council – information, helplines and community resources. 

Together, we can help families facing childhood cancer feel less alone and more supported, every step of the way.