Helping parents in challenging times

More than one million Americans are diagnosed with cancer each year. One-fourth of these patients have children under the age of 18, and many have more than one child in this age group.

To help guide parents during such a challenging time, the Marjorie E. Korff PACT (Parenting At a Challenging Time) Program at the MGH offers support to parents who are receiving treatment at the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center. Guests at an Oct. 5 John D. Stoeckle Center for Primary Care Innovation seminar had the opportunity to learn about the program from Paula K. Rauch, MD, child psychiatrist and founding director of the PACT Program.

Rauch explained that the program provides guidance for parents experiencing life-threatening illnesses. She described how PACT clinicians — all child psychiatrists or psychologists — collaborate with parents to develop a plan to support each child's continued healthy development.

"Parenting while experiencing a life-threatening illness is always challenging," says Rauch. "We respect that parents are the experts on their own children. We offer child development and mental health knowledge to enable us to together craft the best possible support system, communication strategy and environment for the child or children through their illness, and if need be, through the parent's death."

The PACT Program will be featured in an upcoming issue of Newsweek and online at www.msnbc.com. For more information about the program, access www.mghpact.org.