Examining the mother's supportive role caring for a child with cancer

Background: Childhood cancer is a stressful experience for patients and their families; it has a profound effect on families emotionally, psychologically and financially. The mother's supportive role affects the child's treatment outcomes and the health of all family members. Aims: This study was conducted to describe the experiences of mothers of children with cancer. Methods: A total of 14 mothers of children with cancer were recruited using purposive sampling. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted using a qualitative inductive content analysis. Data were analysed using Graneheim et al's (2004) approach. Findings: According to data analysis, the mother's supportive role can be depicted across four subthemes: 'being genuinely present with a sick child'; 'keeping the family together and strengthening its cohesion'; 'providing compassionate collaborative care for peers'; and 'empowering the self and taking charge of one's own life'. The main overarching theme extracted from this study was 'sacrifice'. Conclusion: This study results suggest that the mothers' supportive role is relying on their own personal power, in which they not only give the care to the child, family and counterparts, but also drive personal growth and empowerment of mothers. A deeper understanding of mothers' experiences of their supportive role may enhance the quality of care and promote further paediatric approaches to palliative care.