Mahnaz Shoghi
Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Title: Standing together: everyday life of mothers with a leukemic child
Biography
Biography: Mahnaz Shoghi
Abstract
Aims and objectives. To gain insight into everyday living mothers of children with leukemia. The main objective of this study was trying to know the life stories of a mother dealing with leukemic child and see in its true colors. Background. When a child is being clinically diagnosed with leukemia, parents face with a real terrible shock that usually results in a huge change in their normal life. Both parents especially mothers should tackle a new life by supporting and backing their leukemic child through some activities such as home-based treatment. Method: one-time individual in-depth interview was the procedure that the researchers went through while considering grounded theory as the basis of their study. Sixteen mothers took part in this study and the interviews were carried out in two oncology ward in Tehran University Hospitals. Findings: Standing together with a leukemic child is one of the things that occur in a mother’s everyday life when she knows about her child’s severe illness. This mother gets so close to her child and she makes one with her/him. In this way, on the one hand, the mother’s quality of life suffers and in the long run it causes weariness. On the other hand, it ruins other roles of mother. It seems that those mothers who make one with their leukemic child go through all the processes of a chronic disease while being there for their child in spite of the fact that they are not a real patient.