Childhood Cancer Treatment may end, but the Need for Support doesn’t
The end of cancer treatment does not necessarily mean the end of its impact on a child or their family, Childhood Cancer Ireland has warned, as figures from the charity highlight the ongoing demand for emotional, psychological and practical support throughout the childhood cancer journey.
In 2025 alone, Childhood Cancer Ireland provided 700 hours of Clinical Psychology and 390 hours of Play Therapy, amounting to more than 1,000 hours of dedicated therapeutic support for children and families affected by childhood cancer. The parent and survivor-led charity also facilitated approximately 300 peer-support engagements, while 115 families coming to Childhood Cancer Ireland for the first time received emotional-support assessments. A further 35 young people received educational support related to their diagnosis, treatment or ongoing needs.
The figures are being highlighted as part of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month this September, as the charity seeks to build greater awareness of the challenges children, young people and their families can experience not only during cancer treatment, but as they adjust to life beyond it.
While completing treatment is an enormously significant milestone, the emotional, cognitive, psychological and physical impact of childhood cancer can continue afterwards. Children and families may face challenges including fear and anxiety, fatigue, missed school and social experiences, changes in friendships and family life, educational difficulties and uncertainty about what comes next.
Laura Cullinan, CEO of Childhood Cancer Ireland, said: “Finishing cancer treatment is an enormous milestone for a child and their family, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that every challenge associated with childhood cancer ends at the same time. The level and range of support provided by Childhood Cancer Ireland reflects how different every family’s experience can be. For one child, support might mean having a safe space to work through difficult emotions. For another, it could be help navigating a return to school, or simply having the opportunity to connect with somebody who understands what they have been through."
"That is why it is so important that we continue talking about what life during and after childhood cancer can really look like. We want families to know that they do not have to navigate those challenges alone and that support remains available throughout their childhood cancer journey.”
Across childhood cancers collectively, 87% of children aged 0–15 diagnosed during 2011–2019 were alive five years after diagnosis, according to the National Cancer Registry Ireland. While outcomes vary considerably between diagnoses, Childhood Cancer Ireland says the figure reinforces the importance of recognising the needs of children and families beyond medical treatment alone.
The Things We Still Carry
The figures build on Childhood Cancer Ireland’s wider Things We Still Carry campaign for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, which is shining a light on some of the less visible experiences children and families can carry during and beyond childhood cancer treatment.
Earlier this month, the charity unveiled an oversized transparent school bag installation at Dundrum Town, transforming a familiar symbol of childhood to represent some of the experiences that can be much harder to see from the outside.
Filled with everyday items and fragments of school and home life, the installation represented experiences ranging from gaps in school attendance and missed friendships to family life shaped around hospital appointments, fear, anxiety and the uncertainty of returning to “normal”.
At the heart of the campaign is one simple question: What if the hardest things a child carries can’t be seen?
Michelle Regazzoli Stone, Childhood Cancer Ireland Ambassador, said: “As a mum, it’s impossible not to be moved by what children and families affected by childhood cancer go through. What really struck me about ‘Things We Still Carry’ is how something as ordinary as a school bag can represent so much more – the worries, missed experiences and emotions that a child can continue to carry even after their treatment has finished.
“I’m incredibly proud to support Childhood Cancer Ireland and help shine a light on the families behind these experiences. I hope people who saw the installation in Dundrum will stop for a moment, learn a little more about the realities of childhood cancer and, if they can, support the incredible work Childhood Cancer Ireland does for children and families across Ireland.”
Throughout September, Childhood Cancer Ireland is encouraging communities across Ireland to Go Gold, the international symbol of childhood cancer awareness, to show solidarity with children and young people affected by cancer and their families. From wearing a gold ribbon pin and hosting a coffee morning to organising a fundraising event or challenge or holding a #GoGold day at a school or sports club, funds raised will support Childhood Cancer Ireland in providing emotional, psychological and practical support to children, young people and families affected by childhood cancer.
Supporting Families Beyond Treatment
Childhood Cancer Ireland is a parent and survivor-led charity supporting children, young people and families affected by childhood, adolescent and young adult cancer in Ireland.
The organisation provides emotional, psychological, social and practical support throughout the childhood cancer journey, from diagnosis and treatment through to recovery, survivorship and bereavement.
Childhood cancer does not follow a neat timeline and neither does Childhood Cancer Ireland’s support. When a child is diagnosed with cancer, medical treatment is vital, but the impact can reach far beyond treatment. Families can face fear, disruption, isolation, financial pressure, emotional strain, sibling distress and longer-term consequences that may surface months or years later.
The charity is using Childhood Cancer Awareness Month to call for greater awareness of these challenges and to ensure families know where they can turn for support throughout their experience.
For more information or to support Childhood Cancer Ireland, visit childhoodcancer.ie
Slán go fóill.
