By Kendal Temple, RN, a nurse in Children’s Hematology/Oncology Program
After a long absence due to cancer, it can be hard for young patients to return to school–especially if they look different or can’t play the way they used to. Although most of the time they’re thrilled to be going back to school and seeing their friends, many children are also nervous. To help these kids during the transition, Children’s developed the Back to School program. A nurse and a Child Life specialist visit the patient’s school and educate the classmates on what the patient has been going through. By creating a place where classmates can ask questions and air concerns, these visits help alleviate anxiety and encourage the sensitivity of everyone at school.
This past year, I worked with RJ Agostinelli, a vivacious young man who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a cancer of the white blood cells, at age 11. He missed seven months of elementary school while having chemotherapy. Full story »
Do you know how much your child’s backpack weighs? If it’s more than 15 percent of their body weight, then it’s likely your child might become of the 23,000 students a year treated for backpack-related injuries. More than 79 million students in the United States carry school backpacks and over half of them carry backpacks that are too heavy. Backpack weight isn’t the only important thing; it’s just as important how the backpack is worn. Backpacks should be worn on both shoulders for equal weight distribution, and the height should fall two inches below the shoulder blades and sit at waist level.
