During illness
Leucan ensures that all families of a child diagnosed with cancer are supported throughout the treatments with services tailored to their needs. Leucan provides services to alleviate the pain, assist families financially, and break them out of their isolation, in addition to sharing relevant information so that families can focus all their energies on their child’s recovery.
Welcome Service at the Hospital
From the day of diagnosis, a Family Services Agent from Leucan establishes contact with you to validate your immediate needs, guide you towards the right resources, give you a Leucan welcome kit, and inform you on all the programs available: financial assistance, child minding, activities at the hospital, etc.
Financial Assistance
Families will incur additional costs while their child is undergoing treatments. Leucan provides financial assistance through various grants; a certain number of which will be offered by your Family Services Agent at your very first meeting. Additionally, over the course of your child’s illness, you can turn to your Family Agent if you have specific needs or financial difficulties, and together, you will work to come up with solutions.
Emotional Assistance and Support
Teams of experts are available to provide active listening at all times over the course of your child’s illness, both at the hospital and at home. With this individualized support, we aim to make families feel heard, comforted, and secured in the face of the unknown, the unforeseen consequences, and the stress associated with cancer. Leucan is attentive to your needs, no matter where you reside in the province.
Massage Therapy
Massage therapy services are available at the hospital and at home for all members of the family and to bereaved families. Massages alleviate the stress arising from cancer, reduce the pain of treatment, improve immune functions, and help children to relearn the joy of touch in the midst of treatments. Our team of specialized massage therapists is trained to care for cancer patients and to meet your specific needs.
Hosting in Hospital Playrooms
To make the long hours spent in outpatient clinics more pleasant, Leucan set up playrooms and lounges in hospitals where children can play, and teenagers and parents can relax and form bonds. Playrooms are staffed by qualified educators, there to suggest creative activities, stimulate discussions and encourage games to entertain the whole family during your visits at the hospital.
School Awareness Program and Support
To help cancer-stricken children when they return to the classroom, Leucan developed a School Awareness Program. The program aims to raise awareness about childhood cancer, educate students about the reality of their classmate, and provide parents and school personnel with tools to help support children with cancer and meet their specific needs. A facilitator or Family Services Agent from Leucan will visit the classroom with materials appropriate to the child’s grade.
Socio-recreational Activities
Leucan organizes safe and supervised socio-recreational activities, tailored to the needs of cancer-stricken children. Through those activities, families can meet, build relationships, share their experiences, and find comfort and support with people faced with a situation similar to theirs. A wide array of activities is held by Leucan across the province and throughout the year to break you out of your isolation and give you moments of respite.
The Leucan-CSN Summer Camp
The Leucan-CSN Summer Camp is the only camp specifically intended for cancer-stricken children and their families. Tailored to the needs of children diagnosed with cancer, the camp includes a medical team to administer treatments and provide cancer care for the duration of the camp. Two one-week stays are available in late July and early August.
Central 12-17
The Central 12-17 group is a support group dedicated to cancer-stricken teenagers aged 12-18 and their siblings. This group meets their need to come together among friends with the support of a nursing staff and a team of qualified counsellors who understand the daily reality of cancer very well. The team of Leucan invites teens to join the group as soon as they turn 12.
Hair Alternatives Program
The various treatments provided to cancer-stricken youth often mean hair loss. The Leucan Hair Alternatives Program offers personalized services adapted to the needs of each individual. The program includes a hair prosthesis service and a hair extension service, as well as head covers. Your Leucan advisor will be able to guide you to the best option for your child or teenager, depending on his or her age and preferences.
