Retinoblastoma follow up care is vital for all children after treatment, and for many survivors throughout life. The end of cancer therapy brings both celebration and uncertainty. Knowing what to expect can help calm worries and empower strong advocates. Child Life Specialist Morgan Livingstone reviews what follow up care may involve, and tips to help families and adult survivors navigate this stage of medical care.
Retinoblastoma awareness is the vital first step to cure! Early diagnosis leads to better outcomes for children, with less intense treatment. Sessions at every One Rb World explore how we can best raise parent, public and medical community awareness of common first signs, and develop effective screening for early detection. Below, we share sessions from the 2017,2020, and 2021 meetings.
Retinoblastoma is staged to help doctors describe the extent of cancer in a child’s body, define potential for cure, vision and eye salvage, identify the best treatments, and compare impact of different therapies. Dr. Ashwin Mallipatna explains the TNM Staging System for Retinoblastoma and why it is the best approach for patient care.
Retinoblastoma research is vital to understand how this cancer behaves; treatment benefits, side effects, and risks; and impacts throughout life. Findings help guide medical and supportive care for the child patient, survivor, and family. Rb Survivor, Abby White explores different types of medical research; their goals, benefits, and limitations; and opportunities to overcome the current challenges.
Events that unite our retinoblastoma community are vital for mutual support and collaboration to advance care for children, adult survivors, and families. They all happen thanks to dedicated volunteers. In the second of this 2-part post, we explore the many ways volunteers support our work, benefits to both the individual volunteer and community, and how you can help.
Retinoblastoma is a rare childhood cancer with unique family and lifelong impacts. Events that bring our community together are vital for mutual support and collaboration to advance care. They happen thanks to dedicated volunteers. In part 1 of this 2-part post, we focus on Family Days and the One Rb World conference, planned and hosted entirely by volunteers.
Being in hospital during the Holidays means children and parents cannot join the usual festivities. But you can bring festive spirit and familiar traditions into your hospital space to delight and sustain you all. While cancer has no regard for Christmas, Rb Survivor, Abby White shares 10 ways to support your emotional wellbeing, and your child’s, and welcome festive cheer during a yuletide inpatient admission.
Gratitude may be one of the best ways we can support our health and wellbeing. But it’s much more than giving thanks. It isn’t easy when we’re living with cancer and its effects, and used in the wrong way, it can do much harm. In the first of two posts, Rb survivor Abby White explores what gratitude is, what it is not, the benefits, and how we can practice gratitude – even in tough times.
Gratitude is potent self-care. In part 2 of our Gratitude deep-dive, Rb survivor Abby White explores “the gratitude gap” – a big challenge that’s easy to overcome when we know about it. Plus how this knowledge can help children develop gratitude skills early. And 10 varied ways to practice and strengthen gratitude year-round, during the Holidays, and even in hard times.
For many survivors of bilateral retinoblastoma, vision changes throughout life. This may be due to treatment late effects, eye health, or other medical events. World Eye Cancer Hope USA President and founding board member, Marissa D. Gonzalez, recounts her journey with vision loss during two different seasons of life, and her difficult course with acquired blindness as an adult after decades of good sight.
