Grief Comes in Seasons

And it goes, and it comes back again. Grief, like love, does not end. There's no "wrong" way to feel it, and there's no "right" way to show it.

Anger

The cruelty of childhood cancer is enraging. It takes away a child's innocence from the moment of diagnosis onwards. As time goes by, cancer simply keeps taking - too often, it still takes lives.

Bargaining

Cancer may not ever feel fully "real." It's normal to have moments of thinking, "how can this be my life?" The truth is, many people wish they could trade places with their child or somehow take on the suffering for themselves instead.

Denial

After the loss of a child, many parents have moments of waking up for the day and forgetting, just for a second, what has happened. It is a loss that is too big to absorb all at once.

Despair

Some of the lowest moments of grief come as despair. It is a ravenous ache that feels everlasting. 

Acceptance

Losing a child to cancer will never be acceptable. Acceptance of grief means something different - it means learning to live alongside the pain and find purpose in building a legacy.

How To Support Grieving Parents

Nobody knows how to navigate the loss of a child. No two parents are alike in what they need - when you don't know how to help, ask.

Resources for Coping with Grief
CureFest

Annual summit of childhood cancer organizations in Washington, D.C., featuring programming to honor children lost to cancer and their families
Grief.com

Educational and support resources created by grief expert and bereaved father David Kessler

For Grieving Kids
The Dougy Center

Activities and information for children and teens coping with grief