Marking Brain Tumour Awareness Month
While we’re aware that our children and young people are affected all year round, March is an opportunity to highlight one of the roles that The Children’s Cancer Unit Charity is pleased to fund – our Dedicated Brain Tumour Social Worker.
Claire O’Kane will be a familiar face to many on the ward and in clinic, providing dedicated support to children with brain tumours and their families.
Since introducing Claire into this role, every brain tumour patient is offered support at the point of referral so that parents can understand her role and how she can help them from an early stage. Claire works as part of the Multi-Disciplinary Team to provide a consistency for both staff and families. Being dedicated specifically to brain tumours allows Claire to become more knowledgeable in that specific area – understanding tumours, treatment pathways and support organisations specifically relevant for brain tumour patients. She’s there to build a relationship with the child and family, to follow them throughout their entire journey from hospital to the community, including through surgery, treatment, recovery and coping with at times, life changing outcomes and consequences of treatments.
The social work team in the unit are there to provide support to families in a number of ways, including providing information and resources, advocating for them, sourcing financial support where possible, and signposting them for their needs, all while building a relationship and emotional support along the way.
Claire’s commitment to building meaningful relationships with families, and the team in the Unit always drives her forward.
“I see my role as a huge privilege, to be involved with families on their journey, which can be so difficult and challenging for them, and to witness the resilience and the hope that they have whilst going through that.”
The Children’s Cancer Unit Charity is proud to work alongside the hospital team and funds a number of staff roles, including Claire’s, to support their work, all with a view to improving treatment and care for children and young people.
