Childhood Cancer Canada

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A natural response of the school community when they hear of a student who has cancer is to do something to help.

Educators can facilitate the community's outpouring of concern and offers of help. Initially, educators need to obtain permission from the parents to allow them to disseminate to the staff, students, and broader school community accurate and appropriate information, thereby reducing rumours about the illness.

Respecting the family's wishes, teachers are in a position to help others to do things for their fellow student as an individual, small group, class, or school community.

Fellow students can:

• send letters, make phone calls, and keep inviting the student to parties and other events. Even if they are unable to attend, they will know they are remembered and are still part of the group;
• use a speaker phone or Skype to call their classmate;
• send digital messages or pictures of themselves and the school;
• record audio stories for their classmate;
• send jokes and funny stories often by snail mail, email, text message, phone, etc.;
• make banners and decorations for their classmate's door to greet them home from a lengthy stay at the hospital;
• give gifts that help the sick child pass the time – homemade gifts add a personal touch;
• lend games, books, videos, CDs, and other things that you can share with them;
• have a short visit with the child, if the child feels well enough. For example, if the child is not able to come back to school, he or she can drop by the school and stay in the car while classmates come out to say hello. This helps children to process the decline of health gradually.

The community can:

• organize a Small Hands event at school or at another location in the community in support of the child and their family.
• garage sales, lemonade stands, and hair cutting events are all fun and easy to do! We have lots of great fundraising materials you can print out to use for your event.
• please don’t hesitate to contact us at 1-800-363-1062  if you would like help getting started.