When the unthinkable happens: How Child Life specialists helped a family through cancer

When Dolores gave birth to her second daughter, Hannah, she expected the next chapter of her life to be filled with newborn snuggles and settling in as a family of four. Instead, just hours after delivery, everything changed with a knock on the door.

“They told me I had leukemia,” Dolores said. “I had just had my baby, and now this? It was like—what are you talking about?”

The diagnosis sent her reeling. Her mind raced: What does this mean for me? For my baby? Will we be okay?

From there, everything happened very quickly. Dolores was transferred to Baylor University Medical Center, part of Baylor Scott & White Health, where she would soon begin chemotherapy.

“I just sat there in shock,” she said. “How do you process something like this? You think about giving birth and going home with your baby—not fighting for your life.”

As Dolores and her family made the move to their new hospital room, they were filled with uncertainty, questions and fear. Fortunately, support was ready and waiting for them.

The Baylor Scott & White Palliative Care Child Life team played a pivotal role in helping the family process her shocking diagnosis, learn to cope and lean on each other for support. As a not-for-profit health system, we’re able to offer programs like Child Life thanks to community support and decades of reinvestment in family-centered care.

“Child Life came in—maybe the second person I met—and explained how they support families,” Dolores said. “And I just remember saying, ‘I don’t know how you knew I needed you, but I need you urgently!’”

A safe place for healing

Unbeknownst to Dolores, her 9-year-old daughter, Haide, had been carrying heavy worries since learning about her mom’s diagnosis.

“Haide asked if it was her baby sister’s fault I got sick,” Dolores said. “And she was worried her little sister might get cancer, too. She was holding all of that inside. It was heartbreaking.”

Curious and scared, Haide had secretly searched online for information about leukemia. Her grandmother later came across the search history, revealing how much fear Haide had been processing alone.

Child Life Specialist Shelbi Wulf came alongside Haide and their family, offering comfort and a safe place to process what they were going through. She also helped Haide understand why she couldn’t be in the room with her mom during chemotherapy, a separation that was hard for both of them.

“Shelbi didn’t just support Haide. She supported all of us,” Dolores said. “She helped Haide express her feelings, made her feel safe to ask questions, and gave her space to cry and ask for hugs.”

Shelbi knew exactly what Haide needed.

“Haide had so many big questions and big feelings,” Shelbi said. “She needed a place to be a kid again, and a way to understand what her mom was going through. We talked, we did activities, and we gave her tools to cope and connect.”

One Child Life activity in particular shifted the dynamic within the entire family. When Haide wrote, “A hug from my uncle for 10 minutes would make me feel happy,” it opened a door. Her uncle—who wasn’t naturally affectionate—began greeting her with hugs every day after work.

“Now, every time he comes home from work, he hugs her,” Dolores said. “Child Life helped us understand something so simple but powerful: sometimes, you just need a hug.”

When a parent is going through cancer treatment, it can be hard to know what or how much to share with young children. The team gave Dolores practical guidance on navigating tough conversations with her daughter about what was to come.

“They helped me understand how to talk to my daughter about my hair falling out, about what chemotherapy would do to me,” she said. “They stepped in and helped me say what I couldn’t.”

Finding new purpose after cancer

Today, Dolores is in remission following a bone marrow transplant from her sister. Baby Hannah is a happy, energetic 1-year-old. And Haide? She’s blossoming—and even imagining a future in medicine.

“Now she asks if she can give me my insulin,” Dolores said. “I told Shelbi, ‘You planted that seed.’ I see her thinking differently now.”

The journey has reshaped Dolores’ priorities, too. Once driven by work, she now centers her life around her health and her family.

“There are a lot of jobs out there,” she said, “but there’s only one me for my kids. This journey taught me that my family has to come first.”

Inspired by the care she received, she hopes to pay it forward, perhaps even as a nurse.

“This experience made me rethink my whole life,” she said. “Now, I want to be the person who helps others through this. Because I know what it feels like. And because someone was there for me, maybe I can be there for someone else.”

Supporting families through the unthinkable

"Stories like Dolores’ are at the heart of why Child Life matters," said Cinda McDonald, system director for the Palliative Care Child Life team at Baylor Scott & White.

“When patients are diagnosed, their world is spinning,” Cinda said. “Almost every time, their first thought is: What about my kids? That’s where we come in. We don’t just hand them a pamphlet. We show up. We walk beside them.”

Baylor Scott & White is among the few health systems to offer a dedicated Palliative Care Child Life Program specifically for children of adult patients facing serious illness. A serious diagnosis impacts the entire family, not just the patient. Child Life specialists help ensure that children understand, process and adjust in healthy ways.

The Child Life program exists entirely through philanthropy. Thanks to the generous support of donors, these services are provided at no cost to the family, supporting more than 1,500 children every year.

“Research shows that intervention from Child Life specialists helps mitigate the risks like school dropouts and risky behavior later in life,” Cinda said. “When donors fund this program, they’re not just helping families cope today. They’re shaping healthier futures.”

Palliative care supports individuals with life-changing diagnoses—such as cancer, heart failure or major trauma—regardless of prognosis, while hospice focuses solely on end-of-life care.

“Many families we serve will go on to live long, full lives,” Cinda said. “Our support helps them navigate that ‘new normal’ together.”

For Dolores, the support her family received in their darkest moments is unforgettable.

“Child Life was the best part of this entire experience,” she said. “They gave me peace when everything felt impossible. They helped my daughter feel safe. They helped me feel like I could be a mom—even while fighting for my life.”

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