Alphabet of Hope – #RbChildLife
Caring for a child with retinoblastoma is so much more than treating the cancer. Child life focuses on the whole child – supporting their emotional, social, and developmental needs during stressful medical experiences, empowering families, and transforming care through education and play.
The #RbChildLife Alphabet of Hope highlights simple approaches and vital supports that help children with eye cancer and their families thrive during treatment and beyond.
How to Get Involved
- Follow the Alphabet: Look for new letters shared every four weeks on our Facebook Page and Instagram.
- Join the Conversation: Add your voice to polls and quizzes, and share your own experiences as we explore each new mini-theme.
- Search and Share: Follow the hashtags #AlphabetOfHope and #RbChildLife to discover, share, and talk about the latest content.
- Dive Deeper: Explore each letter here for blogs, videos, and other resources full of practical child life tools and advocacy tips you can use wherever you are. Find this page quickly at wechope.org/AlphabetOfHope
Be part of #RbChildLife! Together we can ensure every child and family receives the support they need to thrive – body, mind, and spirit.
Lisa Hester
In Loving Memory
Our Child Life Alphabet is dedicated to the memory of Lisa Hester, our much-loved WE C Hope USA Director, who tragically died on July 31, 2024.
Lisa was a passionate advocate for child life supports, both for her son, Elijah, and for all children with retinoblastoma. She championed the power of child life to help children thrive through medical care, and was deeply committed to advancing this vital support worldwide.
Lisa leaves an enduring legacy of hope, compassion, and action. In her memory, we continue to advance child life for children and families affected by retinoblastoma across the USA and around the world.
More From the Alphabet of Hope
The First Alphabet of Hope | 2018 – Alphabet of Hope | 2019 – Life Beyond Rb |
2020 – Family InSight | 2021 – Mind And Body | 2022 – Rb Care | 2023 – Rb Research |
2024 – Rb Early Diagnosis
The Alphabet and Resources
A
All Ages: Child life approaches support children from birth to teen to thrive during cancer care. Through preparation, play, and emotional care, they transform medical experiences from fear and distress to resilience, confidence, and joy.
Further Resources:
Child Life for All Ages: Empowering Children with Cancer to Thrive
Retinoblastoma is a challenging journey for children and their families, often deeply affecting emotional and physical well-being long after treatment ends. Tailored support enhances quality of life during cancer care and beyond. Rb survivor and WE C Hope founder, Abby White; and Child Life Specialist, Morgan Livingstone, explore how child life specialists empower children of all ages and their families to cope, heal, and thrive.
Watch the video from this blog, introducing child life.
B
Bubbles: are beautiful, fun, and a fabulous child life tool to help children manage stress. Deep breaths calm the body, reduce anxiety, and make medical procedures less overwhelming, all while bringing a little joy to everyone’s day.
Breathing for Wellness: Why Breath Matters, and 9 Ways to Breathe Out Stress
When we are anxious or angry, we tense up and hold our breath, or breathe fast and shallow, further increasing stress. Slow, deep breathing almost instantly diffuses tension, helping us feel calm, clear-headed and in control. Abby White explores why our bodies react this way, and how we can use our breath to restore calm fast.
Watch the video from this blog, sharing a bubble art activity – a creative way to help kids practice deep, calming breaths while having fun.
C
Comfort Positions: provide security and emotional support for children during procedures, easing fear and pain. They empower caregivers to take an active role and help medical teams deliver safer, smoother, and more efficient care.
Comfort Positions: How to Help Children Feel Safe and Supported During Medical Procedures
Medical procedures can be stressful for children, often leading to fear, resistance, and lasting anxiety. Comfort Positions offer a simple and powerful way to ease distress, ensuring a safer, more supportive experience for children, caregivers, and medical teams. WE C Hope CEO, Abby White, and Child Life Specialist, Morgan Livingstone, explore how comfort positioning transforms medical care, fostering trust, cooperation, and emotional well-being.
Watch the video from this blog, demonstrating three common comfort positions, along with super tips for supporting children of different ages, including babies.
D
Distraction: makes stressful medical moments manageable. From books to bubbles, games to guided imagery, refocusing attention eases pain and anxiety while building trust and cooperation during procedures.
Distraction in Action: How to Build Kids’ Confidence and Comfort in Medical Care
Medical care can be overwhelming for children and their family, causing fear and distress. Without support, these experiences can escalate into medical trauma. WE C Hope CEO, Abby White, and Child Life Specialist, Morgan Livingstone, explore how simple distraction tools reduce anxiety, increase cooperation, and empower both children and caregivers to be calm, confident participants, even in complex medical care.
Watch the video from this blog, showing distraction in action. Visit the blog for the complete Distraction guide, including the next video in this series for parents and medical professionals.
E
EUA: Eye exams under anaesthesia are vital for diagnosing and treating retinoblastoma. Child life helps children learn about, prepare for, and master the steps of this recurring experience with resilience and calm.
10 Ways to Support Your Child Through EUA for Retinoblastoma
Examinations Under Anaesthetic (EUA) are an essential part of retinoblastoma diagnosis, treatment, and surveillance follow up care. Combining content from our Child Life Resource, Morgan Livingstone CCLS CIMI MA reviews 10 ways parents can support children of all ages through the experience to benefit everyone’s wellbeing.
The following video shows how creative play with medical equipment can help prepare children for procedures. Visit the blog for an age-specific guide to preparing for the anaesthetic mask.
F
Family Days: bring together retinoblastoma patients, survivors of all ages, and their families for connection, peer support, and fun. They foster a strong community, helping everyone navigate their journey with belonging, strength and hope.
Retinoblastoma Family Days: Building Connection, Camaraderie, and Hope
When retinoblastoma changes everything, connection and understanding are vital. Family Days provide a soothing space for families and survivors to gather, share, and heal together. WE C Hope USA President, Marissa Gonzalez, and our blog curator, Abby White, explore how these special events foster community, joy, and hope across the retinoblastoma journey.
In this video, Rb survivor Evie and her mom, Lindsey, explain what Family Days mean to them. Visit the blog to hear from more parents and survivors at different stages of life.
G
Gentle Touch: soothes children and strengthens parent-child bonds. Nurturing infant massage aids healthy development, eases stress, and helps babies and young children feel calm and comforted during challenging medical experiences.
7 Infant Massage Tips for Improved Summer Sleep
Discover some key benefits of infant massage in this short video. Visit the blog for more video guidence on massage safety and how to massage babies and children – as well as Morgan’s top infant massage tips for sweet summer sleep.
H
Help Kids Cope: Parents and caregivers are the child’s chief advocate in medical care. We empower them to ask for child life services, and to use child life techniques to help their child feel safe, supported, and successful.
How to Advocate for Child Life Support in Your Child’s Medical Care
Parenting children through retinoblastoma is tough. Being their chief advocate is one of your most important roles throughout their cancer experience. Rb Survivor and WE C Hope CEO, Abby White, discusses why parents and caregivers should advocate for child life support, how to ask for child life services, and how to work effectively with child life professionals for the best outcomes.
I
Infant Mental Health: Protecting a baby’s mental health is vital to their emotional and physical well-being. Positive touch, comforting routines, and responsive care reduce stress, nurture secure bonds, and build a strong foundation for lifelong resilience, even during cancer care.
7 Ways Caregivers Can Support Infant Mental Health during Cancer Care.
J
Jayne Kamau: was a trailblazer for child life in Africa. Her work with children facing retinoblastoma continues to inspire efforts to bring child life services to all seriously ill children, ensuring their care includes emotional and psychological support.
Jayne Kamau, My Friend and Colleague
Jayne, in Cairo with her poster on child life supports for babies and children with eye cancer. Her SIOP presentations and the discussions they sparked enthused childhood cancer teams across Africa to explore training child life professiona for their program through Kenya’s internship site.
K
Kenya Child Life: leads the way for holistic children’s cancer care in Africa. With quality training and few resources, child life specialists transform the medical experience for children and families, improving outcomes, even helping to save lives.
Child Life in Kenya: The Sally Test Child Life Program
L
Listen to Kids: they convey so much to help us understand their fears, needs, and feelings. Child life acknowledges that all behaviour is communication, and offers tools to respond with compassion, helping children feel seen, safe, and valued.
Your Child is Not Misbehaving: How Stress Affects Behaviour
All children exhibit undesirable behaviour at times, particularly when they are stressed, but deliberate misbehaviour is rare. Paediatric nurse and child life specialist, Cindy Pilchuk, explores how a child’s brain responds to stress and emotional overwhelm, what their stress behaviour may be trying to say, and how parents and caregivers can help children cope better.
M
Medical Play: empowers children to understand and prepare for care through hands-on exploration. By role-playing procedures, they build mastery and confidence, reduce anxiety, and gain a sense of control in their medical journey.
Play – The Key Ingredient to Pediatric Medical Care
Play is the language, university, and business of childhood. Medical play is a key part of child-focused health care, helping young patients learn, reduce fear, and take part in their care. Sophie Goldberg, child life intern and student of Child Life and Pediatric Psychosocial Care, explores what medical play is, and how you can use it to empower your child through their medical experiences.
N
Needle Support: transforms vaccinations, blood draws, IV insertions, port access, and more with preparation, comfort, and distraction. It doesn’t have to hurt! Child life techniques help children manage pain and fear, for a safer, less stressful experience.
It Doesn’t Have to Hurt: How to Make Needle Procedures Kinder for Kids
Routine blood tests and immunizations often cause pain and fear. Retinoblastoma screening, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up care involves countless needle procedures. It doesn’t have to hurt! Parents and professionals can bring comfort and calm to any needle procedure. Rb survivor and WE C Hope founder, Abby White; and Child Life Specialist, Morgan Livingstone, explore practical, evidence-based ways to reduce needle pain and support healthy coping for babies and children.
O
One Voice: in the room provides reassurance during medical care. One gentle, focused guide limits sensory overload, builds trust, and coaches the child to stay calm and cooperative through even highly challenging procedures.
Children with retinoblastoma face frequent, stressful procedures that shape trust, pain perception, and medical experience long after treatment. Calm, coordinated support can change everything. WE C Hope CEO, Abby White, and Child Life Specialist, Morgan Livingstone, introduce One Voice – an approach that unifies coaching, empowers parents, and helps teams deliver safer, kinder care – with practical tools families and clinicians can use today.
See the difference between the two scenarios in this short video, then read the blog to find out more.
P
Pain Management: techniques like preparation, distraction, and relaxation, reduce pain perception without medication, empowering children to feel in control and supported throughout their medical care. Pain is not inevitable with child life!
This wonderful video highlights different strategies children can be the boss of their brain and learn how to manage their pain during uncomfortable situations. Read the blog to find out more about how to manage children’s pain and support their wellbeing.
Q
Quality of Life: is the heart and soul of child life. By reducing stress, nurturing joy, and teaching healthy coping, child life empowers young patients and their families to thrive emotionally and physically during cancer care and beyond.
Created during COVID isolation, this video is full of fun ideas for playful connection when treatment and recovery keeps families apart and the need for joy is high.
R
Rb Events like One Rb World invite children, families, survivors, and professionals to explore the value of child life. Kids enjoy healing play and peer support, while caregivers and clinicians gain tools to integrate child life into care.
Visit the photoblog to find out more about how these four activities can change children’s experience of Rb, and explore many more.
S
Siblings: face their own unique struggles during a child’s cancer care. Child life gives them age-appropriate education, emotional care, and activities that help them feel valued, understood, and included in the family’s medical journey.
Siblings of children with retinoblastoma often experience big fears, worries and emotions when their brother or sister is first diagnosed, during treatment, and beyond. Early Years Educator and Child Life Intern Keanna Gordon explores childhood eye cancer from the sibling’s perspective, and how parents can best support their wellbeing.
Visit the blog for resources on talking with siblings and supporting them through their cancer experience.
T
Trauma-Informed Care: addresses the emotional and psychological impact of medical experiences. By creating safe, supportive environments, child life builds trust, reduces distress, and promotes healing for children and their families.
Sleep is vital to a child’s healthy development, and there are many simple, practical ways parents and caregivers can support healthful sleep. But what happens when stress and traumatic experiences affect a child’s sleep? Paediatric nurse and child life specialist, Cindy Pilchuk, offers practical trauma-informed sleep supports to aid children’s coping and restorative sleep.
Visit the blog for resources to help support your child’s bedtime routine and improve their sleep.
U
Unique: is every child! Child life specialists tailor their support to each child’s emotional, developmental, and social needs. Supports and coping plans evolve over time with the child’s changing needs, interests, concerns, questions, and comfort level.
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.
