Tag Archive for: play for all

A young girl with a dressing over one eye sits on her mother's lap, while a medical professional crouches so his face is level with hers. He offers his open hands to her, palms up. All three people are African.

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.

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A child life specialist uses a unicorn horn-shaped bubble generator to distract a young girl and her father. She wears a brightly decorated black surgical cap, adorned with a flowery pink unicorn horn tiara, as well as a face mask, glasses, and surgical gloves. The father also wears a face mask and looks attentively at both the child life specialist and his daughter while securely holding the little girl. Dressed in shades of pink and surrounded by iridescent bubbles, she reaches out toward them with curious delight. In the background, a colourful mural features a smiling face, abstract shapes, and natural elements.

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.

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A bald toddler sits on her mother’s lap during a port access procedure. Her back rests against her mother’s chest, and her head is turned up and back towards her mother, who is leaning down in conversation. Both mother and child are white. The nurse accessing the port is seen from behind and has fair hair.

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.

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7 children co-create a group board game, supported by an adult. One of the children is adding to the board game with a marker

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.

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A high doorway is framed by two Christmas trees, each standing about 10ft tall. They are exquisitely decorated with hundreds of gold lights, pink glass roses, and other ornaments that reflect and refract the light. A large banqueting table is set up in the centre, surrounded by high back red velvet chairs that contrast beautifully against the glittering gold candelabras. Gold crackers and sparkling goblets at each place setting hint at the anticipated party. Along the centre of the table, intricate models in cream, glitter and gold show scenes from the story of Cinderella. On the left of frame is the glittering expanse of a fairy-tale castle. To the right, two ladies gesture and watch the pumpkin carriage racing away over a bridge. Further right, Prince Charming stands below a clock tower as the hands point to midnight, and Cinderella races away down a flight of stairs, a single glittering slipper lost behind her. Almost off-frame, a chair is pictured, in which someone is sitting to try on a shoe. The overall setup is glittering splendour. The high doorway, significantly higher ceiling, very large, tall trees, and several statues between them, give the impression of a grand, spacious room out-of-frame.

12 Ways to Inclusive Festive Fun: How to Celebrate the Holidays with Your Child Who Is Blind or Visually Impaired – Part 2

The glorious visual spectacle of this Holiday Season can exclude and isolate a child with vision loss from retinoblastoma, but we can experience these traditions with all our senses. In part 2 of this festive blog, bilateral Rb Survivor, Abby White, shares six more ways to include blind and visually impaired children in Holiday traditions, creating delight for the whole family.

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Six soft jute cloth bags in colours of earthy red, green, and gold sit in a row. They showcase two displaying kinds of tactile embellishment. On 3 bags, carved wooden tags shaped like a gingerbread man, Christmas tree and star clearly display the dates as raised tactile numbers. On the other three, foam stickers shaped like a tree, love heart and stocking, the numbers are large tactile cut-outs.

12 Ways to Inclusive Festive Fun: How to Celebrate the Holidays with Your Child Who Is Blind or Visually Impaired – Part 1

When a child has vision loss from retinoblastoma, highly visual aspects of this Holiday Season can be challenging, exclusionary and isolating. But a little thought and creative adaptation can completely change the experience. In part 1 of this 2-part blog, bilateral Rb Survivor, Abby White, shares 12 ways to include blind and visually impaired children in traditional Holiday activities.

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A joyful young white girl in pale pink dress, extends both arms upwards, offering the peace hand gesture. The background is a blurred field of wild yellow flowers.

20 Outdoor Activities for Blind and Visually Impaired Children

Nearly all children with retinoblastoma have some degree of sight loss arising from the cancer and its treatment. Identifying outdoor activities they can fully engage with may be hard for families. Bilateral Rb Survivor, Abby White, shares 20 classic and creative activities that include blind and visually impaired children and help connect them with the natural world.

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