Feeling very left out' : parents' insights on siblings of children treated for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia

Although the experience of siblings of paediatric patients has received very little attention, the work that does exist indicates that there are significant problems and that the topic needs further exploration. As a contribution to furthering this area of research, the present paper presents findings on siblings experience from a study examining the impact of the diagnosis and treatment for childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL) from the perspective of all family members. In particular,the effect of relocation upon the sibling, emotions and relationships between sibling and parent will be presented. The findings indicate that siblings are a vulnerable group who report 'feeling very left out' because of the enormous demands place on their families during the intense and prolonged medical drama associated with treatment for ALL.