A Time of Joy and Wonder

The joy and optimism at CancerCare Manitoba are a source of constant amazement. It's an astounding contradiction - in the face of such an intrusive disease, caregivers and patients find reasons daily to fight on, smile and win. One such remarkable story is about children, leukemia and the power of play.

It was December 2000. The Hill family was getting ready for the holidays. Paulla and Darcy Hill had much for which to be grateful, particularly their almost two year-old daughter, Abby, and the fact that they were once again living at home in the Interlake near family and friends. One niggling concern for Paulla though, was a cold Abby had had for two months.

"She was the perfect infant," Paulla recalled. "She was never cranky; I never needed to raise my voice." But, around December 12th, Abby did begin to get cranky. She had become quite pale and then she developed purple spots down her legs - something called petechiae, Paulla was soon to learn.

On December 17th, Darcy, Paulla and Abby made the first of hundreds of trips to McDermot Avenue in Winnipeg. They met a pediatrician who tried to assure the parents that Abby was probably okay. He asked them to wait while the results of an x-ray and blood and urine tests were determined. The urine test came back negative. The x-ray showed nothing. But the blood work....it showed acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

When the pediatrician called the Hills back in, he told them that Abby appeared to have an incurable but treatable disease and that they would be walking across the street to Children's Emergency immediately. It was already after supper. So began the Hills' two-year journey into uncharted and terrifying territory.

The Hills want you to know about the amazing power of medical play and the wonder, joy and therapeutic benefit that children and parents derive from it.

Dawn Kidder is a Certified Child Life Specialist and part of CancerCare Manitoba's multidisciplinary pediatric care team. Even after 17 years, her enthusiasm is contagious - and no one's working on the remedy. It's her work with children of all ages that has dramatically changed the experience of cancer treatment for everyone - the child, the parents, the siblings, the caregivers. It was an unforgettable picture: the look of rapture and adoration that filled Abby's face as she rose and waited for her hug, arms uplifted, as Dawn walked into the room. That look of love confirms what Dawn's medical play has done for one child who's endured hundreds of the most grueling experiences over the past two years.

What is medical play? In Dawn's words, "it's a powerful and important tool child life specialists use to help children assimilate a profoundly unnatural experience into their lives. It's a way of reaching children at their level, giving them a sense of understanding and control in a situation where they have so little of either. CancerCare's Medical Playroom is anything but a waiting room, because every minute here is important. It's an inviting, supportive environment that really speaks to wellness."

Medical play is "purposeful activity." It helps to create coping strategies by providing the child - and parents - with precise, sequential information about treatment, the purpose of specific instruments and the kinds of sensations that will be experienced. It also allows for the natural activity of play during a time when everything else is so unnatural. Imagine a child wanting to come to clinic because they'll be able to play at doing a lumbar puncture, a bone marrow aspiration or starting an IV drip. Abby is one of many such children who are no longer afraid of coming to CancerCare. This is crucial when you see innocent children who must experience the rigors of cancer treatment. And a course of treatment can mean eight months to three or more years, two-four days per week.

Paulla and Darcy saw medical play pull Abby out of the shell she'd crawled into. They saw their daughter begin to make eye contact again. "It's amazing," says Darcy. "Abby has no fear of doctors, nurses or procedures. Only the pain scares her, but after she comes out of the treatment room, she's back to normal. As parents, we're not so afraid of the procedures anymore either."

We all matter; we all make a difference. A donation to CancerCare Manitoba means happier outcomes for children like Abby and their families.