Childhood Cancer Awareness Month: calming care for children with cancer

“A complementary therapist looks at the whole person - their emotional, spiritual, physical and mental health. It all intertwines to make up what we call ‘wellbeing’. Ultimately, my own personal view is that if you create any kind of space that’s really relaxing for somebody, it’s going to have a positive effect on their body and release those lovely chemicals that help people feel good.

“I’ve worked for Demelza for 20 years. I started as a healthcare assistant at the Kent site, and I worked alongside a wonderful volunteer who was an incredible reflexologist. I used to watch her work and think ‘I need to do this!’ She would be massaging a child’s feet and she’d ask me something really specific about their condition, and she’d be right – it was amazing that she understood them just through touching their feet and noticing how they might react.

“In reflexology it’s believed that there are different reflexes on the feet that you apply gentle pressure to, and by doing so it kind of rejigs the body, sending different signals and unblocking energy pathways. Sometimes from that you can have what’s known as a ‘healing reaction’ – some people can experience headaches, or feel fatigued, because you’re flushing through toxins and applying stimulus to the body. So, you have to bear that in mind when you’re focusing on somebody who is having cancer treatment and might be more fragile or have a reduced immune system. I decided to specialise in oncology because I wanted to be confident in working with children with more complex conditions. The oncology training can be applied to a lot of the children we support - often their immune systems are affected or the conditions they have can make them vulnerable - so it’s about having that awareness and offering lighter, shorter treatments.

“There was a young lady who really struggled with being touched, which was likely connected to her oncology diagnosis - during cancer treatment the skin may become especially sensitive and even gentle touch can feel uncomfortable. But we built it up gradually for her in short sessions and eventually she could have a very light touch over her skin. You to have to be led by each individual child and try to create a form of touch that works for them.

“It’s about offering them space. When children are in hospital having the medical treatment they need, it’s not a relaxing environment. It’s an incredibly stressful situation and having chemotherapy can make them feel sick and tired, so we try to offer a calming, quiet space that focuses on make those experiences less awful. If you’re tense and stressed, then it’s going to make pain worse, but if you can relax that person, it can reduce the level of pain and discomfort they’re experiencing.

“There was a young lad who was super anxious and found it really tricky to switch off and go to sleep at night. So, I would massage his feet, just a relaxing massage, and he would finally drift off to sleep. It was lovely to see. When he died, his mum came to find me and thanked me for being there to relieve some of his anxiety. That’s what it’s about too – creating positive touch. The children we support get so many pokes and prods through the various treatments they need, so much negative association with their bodies and touch, and it’s nice to offer something that balances that. It’s pretty special.

“I love making that connection with children. I loved being a healthcare assistant, playing with them and building that relationship with the children was the best. And now to be a complementary therapist, it really is a privilege. If you think how many professionals are in and out of their home and their lives - it’s an honour when families accept you. It’s just really special, there’s no other job like it. I wouldn’t work to work anywhere else – clearly from being here 20 years I think this is the best job ever! It’s taught me so much about life and given me a lot of gratitude for the strength of people. Seeing the families and what they go through - it gives meaning to life. I go to work knowing there’s a real, strong purpose.”

- Nicola Fischer, Complementary Therapist