For three years, from 2021 to 2024, a group of children from Estrie, aged 12 to 14, who were affected by the cancer from which their parents suffered, decided to launch a research project.
A different vision of the disease
With the help of researchers from the CIUSSS de l’Estrie-CHUS Research Center (CRCHUS), they developed a series of activities aimed at children aged 8 to 12. For example, they met young people during an afternoon organized at Lac-des-Nations and they were put in contact with other children, thanks to different organizations in the region. During these meetings, the children had the opportunity to freely express their fears, worries and emotions. The goal was, among other things, to allow these children to have a supportive space with other children.
This project was entirely initiated by young people. “As researchers, what attracted us was their different vision of this problem. The fact that for them, it wasn’t so much “we’re going to talk, we’re going to give information”, it was more “what activity would do good?” “It struck me, because I would not have thought that children who are experiencing stress or who are experiencing a lot of worry want to go and play,” explains Dr. Claude Cyr, clinical researcher at the CRCHUS and pediatrician at the CIUSSS de l Estrie – CHUS.
Thanks to these meetings, the young people, called the trackers, were able to highlight the real needs and questions of the children. “Some children don’t want to ask their parents questions or make comments about their condition so as not to hurt their feelings. Meeting other children who have experienced the same situation helped them greatly,” adds Dr. Claude Cyr.
Improving support for families of sick people
The results of this research, which will be published soon, will help improve support for families. Moreover, a group of peer helpers dedicated exclusively to children has been created. Note that the Rose des Vents and the Oncology Department of the CIUSSS de l’Estrie-CHUS are partners in this project. “I would like that with the research answers that we will obtain, that the world will apply them to be able to better help and that adults and children will use them to better help themselves,” mentions Eden Jetté, young tracker and co-researcher.
Note that this achievement is a winner of the 2023-2024 Excellence Awards from the CIUSSS de l’Estrie – CHUS in the University Mission and Outreach category.
Families who need this support can write to [email protected].
