Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month

September. The beginning of fall, a new school year, pumpkin spice lattes, cooler temps, and pediatric cancer awareness month. As many of you know, I work on a pediatric oncology/hematology floor in a childrens hospital and am extremely blessed to work with this population. These kids are some of the bravest, strongest, and sweetest people I’ve ever met, and they are facing the challenge of a lifetime. Pediatric cancer doesn’t just affect the child, but the whole family. Unfortunately, each day 36 children are diagnosed with cancer.

On November 9^th, I will be walking in the CureSearch walk. The CureSearch walk celebrates and honors children whose lives have been affected by childhood cancer, while raising funds for lifesaving research.
This is a cause that is very near and dear to my heart and I would love all the support I can get. Please take a few minutes to check out my personal page, and see what you can do to help (donate money, volunteer, spread the word)! These kids deserve a future, and we can help give them that!

http://www.curesearchwalk.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=1058928&lis=1&kntae1058928=BB511A7D4EA140FF9166C5C26789279D&supId=390172865

Pediatric Oncology...It's all about the love.

Every time someone asks me what I want to do with my nursing career, I respond in the same way. “I want to work as a pediatric oncology nurse. I want to work with kids with cancer.” And every time I get the same response. “Wow. I could never do that. That’s going to be so hard!”

I have never once doubted that this field is going to be mentally and emotionally draining. But I’ve had a philosophy for a while, and I finally found a quote to back it. It says, “You cannot save people. You can just love them.”

This quote rings true in every single aspect of life, but especially in pediatric oncology. I may not be able to cure cancer or stop their health from getting worse. But I can love them and care for them through it all. I can’t go into work with the attitude that I can “fix” people, because I can’t. But I can make them smile and laugh. I can talk to them about their feelings and ask them about their interests. If I can make what time they do have left better, then I can be okay with that. These children have a team of doctors coming up with treatment plans for the future, and that is great. But these children don’t always have a tomorrow. They have a right now. And that’s my job- to make their right now happier.

So yes, it is going to be hard, and there are going to be days where I’m worn down by the sadness of it all. But to see a child who is fighting the battle of a lifetime crack a smile…that’s what makes it all worth it.

 

Pediatric Oncology

Ever since I can remember, I have been fascinated with the St. Jude commercials! The faces of the children who looked so hopeful, yet so sick was always interesting to me. How could those children smile when they were fighting such a hard battle? I think that those children are heroes and that's why I've always found pediatric oncology interesting. However, I thought a lot of things were interesting as a child, ice skating, roller blading, tree climbing...all of those things were potential professions in my 7 year old mind. Now, as a 22 year old, I have officially signed up for classes in nursing school and am looking SO forward to working in a hospital soon. I know I have to do my rotations and who knows, maybe I will end up loving cardio or neuro. But as for now, I cannot wait to work in pediatric oncology and work with little heroes every day!