Board game helps kids cope with cancer.

Parents and children presented with a diagnosis of cancer face a myriad of confusing and anxiety-filled experiences. They must deal with medical terminology, treatment plans, strange-sounding medications, and the emotions and psychological issues that accompany such a diagnosis.

Young people have found many different ways to cope with those issues. At Children's Hospital Medical Center of Akron (Ohio), a group of creative and courageous patients found that developing the game "Road to Remission" let them share their knowledge, feelings, and personal experiences with their parents, hospital staff, and fellow patients.

Ranging in age from seven to 17, they fashioned a game board from construction paper and glitter and used bandages, empty syringes, and pill bottles for game pieces. They then made handwritten cards which presented each player with a variety of illness-related circumstances that allowed them to either move forward or backward on the path toward the finish line, which was remission.

For example, a player who draws, "You lose your hair" or "Treatment extended" must move back four spaces. "You have a low blood count" or "You have a high fever" means moving back two spaces. On the other hand, if the card says, "You talk your doctor into letting you postpone hospitalization until after prom!" or "You just finished your last cycle of chemo!," the player gets to advance three spaces. Drawing a card that declares, "Your friends come to visit" or "Your parents bring your favorite food" means moving ahead two spaces. The first one to reach "Remission" is the winner.

The irony of making a game out of having cancer may seem uncomfortable to some at first, but victories and setbacks brought to light on each game card help the kids air their feelings about what is happening to them during their hospital stay and throughout the course of their treatment. An added benefit is that it helps parents to understand their children's experiences.

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