As a child I was diagnosed with cancer. Which was a very stressful situation for me a child; sometimes I wonder how I made it from day to day. When I look back on it I remember having a great family dynamics being around and supporting me. I never had a great support system for friends. At first when I was diagnosed they would come around to see how I was doing but after a month, my friends stopped coming around because it’s hard for people to watch someone go through it. Also I will say that a great support I had was the staff that was with me during treatment. These people became family and I became so close with a few of them I would talk to. I had one nurse that worked night shift and as soon as he was done checking on his patients he would visit me last and I would wait for him to come in and I would tell him my secrets and concerns. It was just nice for me to have someone that I could trust to talk to about things that where bothering me or just about being scared.

            I also connect with some of the other kids that where being treated while I was going through treatment. It was hard though at first to connect with these children because it felt as though as soon as I connected with them, something bad would happen to them and then they where not around anymore. I do remember meeting a girl around the same age as I and we became very close and connected, we where great support for each other and then one week things turned for the worst and she passed. I remember at that time it felt like loosing a big part of me because we where such a support for each other. I will say that I did have one of the best doctors in the world because he is so caring person. He would come in and talk to me not just my parents. He would lesion to me talk to me about my concerns and worries and you could tell and feel how much he really did care. Because of all the support from my family, friends, support staff and the doctor I was able to know that I could fight and do what it took to wake up everyday knowing it possible be my last, but hopping it wasn’t.

           

            I read the article Stress Facts for South Asian Children and Teens, where it talks about the stress that South Asian child, most common stress factors that they deal with. In South Asia children get more stressed when it comes to there academic achievements. There parents put a very high stress level on there children that the better there education they have then the better jobs and education that they can get to help out there family. With this stress on these children causes them to behave or do things in a negative manner than they possible would have done before. Because of the stress level of a lot of children in South Asia they are trying to bring awareness to this problem. They are explaining to parents of children and teens signs of their child being stressed. Than they are telling them ways to cope with there child being stressed, for example they recommend for parents to talk to there child, lesion, give them more play time and overall understanding and being there for them. I feel that awareness but also children speaking out to there parents will also help to reduce the stress in there life.

 

My Sahana Opening Minds for a healthier tomorrow; Stress Facts for South Asian Children and Teens; May 6, 2011 http://www.mysahana.org/2011/05/stress-facts-for-south-asian-children-and-teens/