How a child life specialist helps empower kids with cancer
How do you explain a bone marrow transplant to a five-year-old? Or comfort a teen who is undergoing chemotherapy? These are common – and often overwhelming – moments for many families receiving care in the Katie Hageboeck Children’s Cancer Research Fund Clinic at M Health Fairview Masonic Children’s Hospital.
Hannah Schiro, BS, CCLS, a certified child life specialist with M Health Fairview Pediatrics, helps turn their fear into confidence. She and a team of child-life specialists work closely with children getting treatment for cancer, those undergoing a bone marrow transplant, or those who are receiving infusion medication for other rare conditions.
“It’s my job to help kids understand why they are coming to Katie’s Clinic and to help them cope with the medical experiences they are going through,” Schiro said. “I also help prepare them for future medical experiences in other areas of the hospital.”
Through the power of medical play and education, Schiro helps children feel in control and empowered during their medical journeys.
Schiro is celebrating 10 years at our children’s hospital. In honor of National Child Life Month, we sat down with her to learn more about her role, our entire Child and Family Life team, and why she’s passionate about supporting children and teens in our care.
How do you support patients at Katie’s Clinic?
I spend a lot of time working with patients through what we call medical play. That is, giving them the opportunities to explore the supplies, the tools used, and guiding them through the different steps of a medical experience.
Things like IV pokes can be a big deal for children. When kids get to practice before the procedure happens, it gives them a chance to process the experience. The hope is a little practice can help them cope better during the actual procedure.
There are instances when some kids aren’t comfortable or just not ready to engage with the medical supplies. When that happens, I will take the opportunity to sit and chat with mom and dad and get them involved in interacting with the supplies. This way, we can normalize these tools from a distance so that next time, the child might feel a little more open to join in play with these tools themselves.
A lot of what I do is listening and observing for what the child and family need in that moment. If it seems like medical play isn’t going to happen, we can go for a walk around the clinic or take a trip to the toy closet. Anything I can do to help make a better experience for them and feel less anxious.
What made you pursue Child and Family Life as a career?
I always thought I would be a teacher or a pediatric nurse. Then in college, I started volunteering at a children’s hospital and discovered how much I love everything the child life specialists do. It all just clicked for me. It’s a perfect blend of being a teacher while still being in a medical setting. Now, I’ve been doing this for 10 years.
What is your favorite part about your role?
In Katie’s Clinic, I I have the opportunity to work with kids and families over a long period of time as many receive care for many months. Because of this I get know them over time and build rapport.
I love helping kids gain mastery and understanding of their medical journey. One of my absolute favorite things is helping children gain a little more control over an experience where they didn’t previously have a lot of control. Consistent education and lessons on coping skills so that one day when they come into the clinic, they can explain to their nurse the process of a procedure – like flushing their central line or doing a dressing change.
What is the most challenging part of your role?
The most challenging part of my job is supporting patients and families through moments of uncertainty, difficult diagnoses, and end of life situations. Many families experience one of their hardest days in clinic and my job is to help provide emotional support, developmentally appropriate teaching, and coping techniques in those moments. We have a wonderful interdisciplinary team that works together to provide well rounded care and support to help families navigate those experiences. I know that I can rely on my team and that while challenging, it is also rewarding to be a support person as children and families navigate these situations.
What’s some advice you would give to families with a child coming into the hospital?
I tell parents the best thing they can do is be upfront and honest with their child. Give them age-appropriate information about what they can expect and what they should know about their diagnosis. It’s also ok to not have all the answers.
The Child and Family Life Services department and your child’s medical team are here to help. If they are just arriving, we encourage families to reach out to the child life specialist on the unit so we can get connected. Or if they are already in the hospital, they are more than welcome to set up a time to chat to learn more about how we can help. We can provide resources for helping your child through whatever their diagnosis is. We also have resources for siblings – their experiences are often just as unique and important.
