P02-185 - Healthy Siblings of Children with Cancer: the Forgotten Givers

Abstract

Objectives

To understand how healthy siblings visualize and represent health and disease as conditions affecting them and others in their family. Furthermore, to evaluate the emotional settings following health and disease for healthy siblings, the reasons lead to illness and what could be done to avoid that path. Additionally, this study aims to investigate the parameters that interfere with the physical and emotional living of healthy siblings and finally to access their subjective knowledge on disease and in particular, cancer.

Methods

Fourteen healthy children, aged between 7 and 14, siblings to children diagnosed and receiving treatment for leukemia (acute lymphoblastic & myelogenous leukemia), nephroblastoma (Wilms’ tumor), lymphoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, where evaluated according to the Hatira's Projective Technique.

Results

Analyzing the interviews lead to different kind of responses; some positive but mainly negative ones. The negative reactions addressed emotional instability, rejection, separation, siblings’ rivalry, the medical treatment itself and the fear of death, while positive reactions concerned self-awareness, sensitization, earlier maturing and increased family coherence after the crisis.

Conclusion

The physical relationship between siblings is a special kind of human relationship that can outrun time and crises, even outgrowing in some cases the relationship between parents and their children. On the other hand, it is simultaneously a very fragile and vulnerable relationship, since traumatic experiences such as those arising from childhood cancer interfere with the mental and emotional growing of the healthy brother or sister, causing confusion to the body, mind and soul.