Introductory Note from POGO

The POGO Indigenous Children with Cancer Initiative, established in 2019, is dedicated to enhancing equality and cultural safety in the care of Indigenous children with cancer and their families. This initiative brings together individuals with lived experience, healthcare providers from across the Ontario, Indigenous Navigators from hospitals, and members of the Indigenous Cancer Care Unit of Ontario Health.

In honour of National Indigenous History Month this June, we are proud to share a heartfelt video designed to increase understanding of a childhood cancer diagnosis. Recognizing the diverse caregiving roles within Indigenous communities, this video is intended for anyone in the child’s support circle, including parents, community elders, extended family, and Indigenous healers.

Jennifer Keis, Nurse Practitioner at SickKids and a valued member of our initiative, shares her reflections below on the creation of this video and its impact on her practice.

Walking alongside Indigenous Patients and their Communities

In nursing, we are taught to provide culturally-safe, patient/family-centered, and holistic care. My experience with the POGO Indigenous Children with Cancer Committee has reinforced that achieving this requires an open mind and a willingness to listen and learn from others.

I am grateful for the wisdom, stories, and expertise shared by Indigenous healthcare providers, community members, and families who are part of the committee. Their strength in sharing the challenges and trauma of navigating the healthcare system with such honesty and integrity has had a profound impact on me.  I recognize that I must continue to engage in learning, listening, and adapting to ensure I am providing meaningful and thoughtful care to Indigenous families.

I had the privilege of getting to know the patient featured in the video, Makenzy, and his mom, Wendy, during a long stay at SickKids, so you can imagine the emotional impact the video has had on me.  In the video, Wendy, who, in her spare time, enjoys art as a hobby, shares with viewers a painting, which beautifully illustrates the family’s hope to remain connected to their Indigenous culture and practices while Makenzy was receiving treatment for leukemia.  Wendy’s powerful symbol of resilience and connection is not unlike the hope of other Indigenous families who will need pediatric oncology care in the future.

Indigenous families deeply value preserving cultural identity, even as they navigate the challenges of western healthcare. This shared experience resonates with many and underscores the importance of walking alongside Indigenous patients and their communities—recognizing, respecting, and integrating their traditional practices and medicines into our care approach.

Supporting Families through Childhood Cancer Diagnoses

As nurses, we understand how overwhelming it can be for families to receive a childhood cancer diagnosis. Suddenly, families are thrown into an unfamiliar world filled with medical jargon, blood tests, diagnostic procedures, and various healthcare providers.  While trying to comprehend the gravity of the diagnosis, families are faced with making significant treatment related decisions that may feel overwhelming, all while grappling with the emotional shock of the news.

Now, imagine how much more difficult this experience is for families coming from a place of historical and medical trauma, racism and discrimination, loss of cultural identity, and health disparities.  The intricate nature of these challenges can magnify the emotional toll, making it even harder for families to navigate this already overwhelming experience.

Creating a Culturally-Sensitive Support Tool for Indigenous Families

Our vision in creating the video is to provide an avenue to open communication, build rapport, and share information in a way that is culturally sensitive and less overwhelming for Indigenous families facing a new childhood cancer diagnosis.  Acknowledging the significant value of connection within Indigenous communities and with their elders, we also understood the importance of providing an educational tool that families can share with others.

Thank you for reading my reflections on the privilege of participating in the POGO Indigenous Children with Cancer Committee and helping to create the video, Childhood Cancer: A Guide for First Nations Communities. If you haven’t watched it yet, I encourage you to do so.

Watch Childhood Cancer: A Guide for First Nations Communities

I hope it becomes a valuable resource for sharing with colleagues, but most especially, with Indigenous pediatric oncology families you support. As nurses, we have the privilege of spending meaningful time at the bedside, listening to families share their stories, building trust, and advocating when their voices need to be heard.  My hope is that the video, along with other POGO Indigenous resources, will support you in fostering these important relationships with cultural humility, an openness to listen and learn, and compassion in the care we provide.

Jennifer Keis is a pediatric nurse practitioner at The Hospital for Sick Children, working with families facing leukemia or lymphoma.

At the time of writing, this video is pending translation to Ojibwe Nbisiing Dialect.