For twenty years, one little girl has inspired a global movement of advocacy and hope for children with retinoblastoma, survivors, families, and all who walk beside them. WE C Hope CEO, Abby White, reflects on carrying Rati’s legacy. She explores the joy, burden, and enduring purpose of sustaining hope while caring for others.
Child life can profoundly impact a child’s experience of retinoblastoma, and their quality of life. However, many children treated at specialist retinoblastoma centres lack child life support, and their parents feel unsupported, compared with other cancer patients. Abby White explores the challenges and ways to overcome them.
Children affected by retinoblastoma carry emotional experiences that quietly shape how they see themselves. Thoughtful guidance can transform potential challenges into opportunities for growth and self-belief. Child Life Specialist Morgan Livingstone and WE C Hope CEO Abby White introduce personal story books as a creative, nurturing way to help children explore identity, build self-esteem, and celebrate who they are.
Retinoblastoma is highly curable, but lifelong impacts are significant for survivors, siblings, parents and extended family. After a particularly painful personal insight, Rb survivor and WE C Hope CEO Abby White asked families and survivors about their own experiences of life beyond childhood eye cancer care.
Linda Conyard MGestT explores the grief that can arise from retinoblastoma diagnosis, treatment, eye removal surgery, loss of innocence, and mutilated family life. She considers the potential harm of suppressing this grief, and offers both families/survivors and medical professionals ways to prevent prolonged suffering.
A diagnosis of childhood cancer can leave parents feeling adrift and utterly alone. The friends who walk with them through their child’s medical care are often cherished lifelong, and from a central thread in their own healing. Megan Santos reflects on the many friendships formed before, during and after her daughter’s treatment for retinoblastoma.
On March 10, 2019, our beloved child life specialist Jayne Kamau died aboard Ethiopian Airlines flight ET302 as she returned home from SIOPAfrica in Cairo. WE C Hope Child Life Director, Morgan Livingstone, reflects on more than a decade of mentoring, friendship and working together to advance child life in Kenya. Co-authored with WE C Hope CEO, Abby White.
Why should we be concerned about childhood cancer awareness when it accounts for only 1-3% of all cancers? Surely its rarity means the impact on society and childhood deaths is low? Not True! Bilateral Rb survivor and WE C Hope CEO, Abby White, explores the realities of childhood cancer, sharing personal experience, and insights from parents and fellow survivors,
Childhood eye cancer and its lifelong impacts can overwhelm and isolate – connecting with others who understand is vital for healing. On May 3rd, 2025, 40 young patients, survivors, families and friends gathered to celebrate and support the amazing Rb community in Northern California. Bethany Folks, WE C Hope USA Executive Assistant and Event Volunteer, reflects on a wonderful afternoon with Rb families in the Bay Area.
Childhood cancer care is often a long and winding road for the entire family, with many successes and setbacks, triumph, despair, and new hope. WE C Hope Director, Lori Baños, creator and moderator of the Facebook group Rb Moms, reflects on the wild rollercoaster ride when a child is diagnosed with eye cancer. With contributions from group members.
