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Support  for Siblings of St. Jude Patients 

Helping siblings is an important part of patient family-centered care at St. Jude.

Three small children smiling in clinic setting

When your child or teen has a serious illness, it affects the whole family. This includes your child’s siblings (brothers and sisters).

Siblings of a St. Jude patient can face many challenges, including:

  • Long separations from the patient or caregiver
  • Visits to a hospital they do not know
  • Changes in routine

St. Jude child life specialists can help siblings cope with these challenges.

How child life specialists can help siblings

  • Learn about the child’s illness and treatment
  • Prepare for medical procedures that your child might have
  • Prepare for medical procedures where the siblings might have to help your child (for example, donating bone marrow to the patient)
  • Tour the hospital
  • Get to know other children their age
  • Stay in touch with their brother or sister in the hospital
  • Cope with feelings
  • Feel like they are still an important part of the family
A doctor speaking with patient's mother, with patient and nurse in background

Hannah's care team worked with her parents to understand and process her diagnosis. This made it easier for them to talk with Hannah's siblings about her diagnosis, care, and treatment.

Read their story.

Learn more

Contact Child Life

Child Life Department
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital|
MS 121, Room B2095
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN  38105-3678
Phone: 901-595-3020
Fax: 901-595-2690
childlife.info@stjude.org