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Parent Questionnaire: Talking to Children About a CML Diagnosis

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I am posting this on behalf of my son:

My name is James and I am a high school student working on a research-based project focused on how parents talked to their children about their diagnosis. After my mom was diagnosed with CML, I realized how frightening and confusing the word “cancer” can be, especially when the illness is chronic and long-term. Many resources are written for adults or very young children, but there is far less guidance for families with tweens and teenagers.

As part of my research, I am hoping to hear from parents living with CML who would be willing to complete a short, anonymous questionnaire your experience telling your own children. The questionnaire takes about 10–15 minutes. If you are willing to participate or would like more information, please send a DM, and I will share the questionnaire link. I would be incredibly grateful for your help, and I hope this project can eventually support other families navigating CML.

I am providing a link to a google doc. If you are unable to access this link and are interested in completing the survey - please reach out and a PDF will be provided.

https://forms.gle/mE5x3hzwTdgyv3B26

I’d be happy to do it for you however it’s been 8 years since my diagnosis and I’ve managed so far to keep it from my kids. They’re now 12 and 15.

I will tell my kids one day when they’re emotionally mature enough to process and understand more.

I wanted my kids lives to be as trauma free as possible, while they’re developing at least.

I can understand why some people feel the need to tell their kids also and it’s down to a personal choice.

It is absolutely a personal choice and obviously it depends on the age of your children and their level of maturity. Personally, I waited three years to tell my son, when he turned 14 years old. My son received dozens of responses to his survey. The largest number of respondents told their children immediately, while the second largest group told their children within a couple of months.