Achieving balance: a case study examination of an adolescent coping with life-limiting cancer

A single-case study approach was used to provide an in-depth examination of the special events that take place in an early adolescent's family as the adolescent attempts to adapt to living with life-limiting cancer. Through symptom control, hope, denial, and the achievement of developmental tasks such as peer group identification, independence, and autonomy, the early adolescent was able to demonstrate positive coping and adaptation. In the context of the Calgary Family Systems Model, the adolescent achieved individual system balance, which in turn enabled his family's systems to balance. The health care professional played an integral role in enabling the adolescent to accomplish his developmental tasks, which translated into facilitating adaptation.