For Your Benefit: Following a passion can make a difference

Helping children of cancer patients deal with the disease started out as a passion for Rose McKeever, LPN, an oncology nurse at DeKalb Medical Cancer Center in Decatur since the late 1980s. During her career, she has worked closely with cancer patients and their families as part of the hospital's cancer care team.

However, in the early 1990s, she realized that adult cancer patients weren't the only ones who needed care. She stepped forward to develop a solution.

"I saw all these children, who didn't understand what their parent, grandparent or family member with cancer was experiencing, and decided to do something about it," said McKeever, coordinator of the Treehouse Gang, a program that focuses on children ages 5 through 18 and helps them face the questions and fears that arise when their parents are diagnosed with cancer.

McKeever was instrumental in creating the Treehouse Gang in 1993. "I went to my supervisor, Betty Castellani, director of the DeKalb Medical Charles B. Eberhart Cancer Center, and asked if we could start a program for kids. With her support and that of the hospital administration, the Treehouse Gang came into being."

Today the program serves families throughout metro Atlanta, not just those being treated at DeKalb Medical. McKeever and social worker Stephanie Medlin work with the children; other nurses volunteer to assist with hospital tours and education.

"We're careful not to have too many adults around, because we're working to get the kids to open up about their feelings and fears," McKeever said. "The Treehouse Gang is all about helping youngsters face their fears and understand exactly what's going on as their parents are treated for cancer."

McKeever and Medlin developed the curriculum, which also builds trust and confidence among the youngsters. The children attend three structured sessions at the DeKalb Medical Cancer Center to help them understand what their parents are experiencing. The first session focuses on what's going on with the child's family, including simplified education about cancer and treatments.

"The youngsters draw family portraits and talk about their lives," McKeever said. "It's a good way to have them open up about their feelings."

The youngsters tour the hospital during the second session — seeing first-hand where their parents are being treated — and visit the laboratories, the diagnostic imaging center and the blood bank.

"Sometimes these kids even help educate their parents about treatments, such as chemo or radiation," McKeever said. "Knowledge is a powerful tool that diffuses their fear."

The final session turns inward.

"By this time, these young people have gained confidence and trust in us, so we ask them to talk about how their parents' illness affects them," McKeever said. "They talk about their feelings and even act them out so that they can realize it's OK to be worried. But by this time, they also have the knowledge to understand what's going on in their families."

The Treehouse gang is open to the public as a free service of DeKalb Medical Center. Annual reunions of former Treehouse Gang members focus on keeping contact and monitoring their progress. The reunions usually include time to create artwork used for the program's holiday cards, which are sold to raise funds for the program. This year's cards will be available in late October, and can be purchased by contacting DeKalb Medical Center at 404-501-3279.

"It's very rewarding to see the youngsters again each year," McKeever said. "The Treehouse Gang started out as an idea, but because of the hospital's willingness to support it, we've been able to help many families as they make their journey through cancer treatments."

McKeever is modest about her role in making the Treehouse Gang a reality, but she has advice for other nurses and health care professionals who want to make a difference beyond their daily work.

"When you see a need, find a way to meet it where you are," she said. "Step out and go for it. You'd be surprised what a difference you can make."