Through My Eyes:

A Day in the Life of Children with Cancer Around the World

Have you ever wondered what the treatment of childhood cancer looks like from a child’s perspective?  Doctors and nurses can treat their disease and carefully follow their progress. As parents we hold their hands, wipe their fevered foreheads and calm their fears while they walk this journey.  But do we really know what they see or what they feel?  We wondered and maybe you might have wondered too. Perhaps we think about their experiences because we are all intimately involved with their treatment and care either as health professionals, parents, siblings, or loved ones.

The International Confederation of Childhood Cancer Parent Organizations (ICCCPO), the International Society of Paediatric Oncologists (SIOP) and the SIOP Nurses Committee are collaborating on a project that will show us what the children and teenagers see and perhaps feel.  It will help us better understand what they are going through, what is important to them and provide us with their point-of-view… if even for a fleeting moment in time.

This is how your treatment centre or parent’s group can participate in this very important project.  Beginning February 15, 2005 – International Childhood Cancer Day, we would like you to place cameras into the hands of children with cancer and ask them to take pictures of anything they like (in the out-patient or in-hospital setting).  It is important to us that the children take the photos and that the photos are taken during the week beginning February 15^th through the 22^nd, so we can all witness what the world of childhood cancer looks like for one special week – throughout the world!

We would like you to choose the most telling and illustrative photos and email or post them to the project organizers at:  Email: through-my-eyes@kidscancercare.ab.ca

Through My Eyes: A Day in the Life of Children with Cancer Around the World

c/o Kids Cancer Care Foundation of Alberta

Suite 302, 609 – 14^th Street NW

Calgary, Alberta T2N 2A1 CANADA

We must receive these photos in digital format by email or the photos (with negatives) by post, no later than March 15, 2005 so that they can be arranged for display.

Please be sure to include the following details as noted in the Submission Form:

*  Name and age of the child who took the picture (first name only)

*  Diagnosis (we may or may not use this information)

*  Treatment Centre (name and location)

*  City and Country

*  A brief, meaningful description in English, no more than 50 words on each of the following two topics from a collaborative point-of-view (if possible) of the medical, nursing and child/parents which describe:

    1.  The biggest challenges facing your treatment centre and/or parent group.

    2.  The things that bring hope, joy and a belief in the future.

These photos and the accompanying statements will become a part of a permanent collection so we will not return the photos or the text.  Therefore, please make copies of them prior to sending them to us. If you need assistance in paying for the film, developing or postage, the project sponsor will pay for reasonable expenses with receipts.

The photo exhibition “Through My Eyes” will be shown at the next meeting of SIOP/ICCCPO in Vancouver in September 2005. The photo exhibition may, over time, become a beautiful published book that could help to educate, inform and publicize the status of childhood cancer throughout the world. The value would be extraordinary and it may be useful to many developed and developing countries as a form of public awareness. 

Please help us by sending this message on to any other treatment centres, parents groups or children’s cancer agencies you believe would be interested in this project.

If you have any questions about this project, please contact Christine Wandzura at the address/email above.  And thanks for being a part of what we are sure will be a spectacular and moving photo exhibition that will inspire and motivate people - the world over!

Dr. Tim Eden,               Mr. Simon Lala,               Dr. Faith Gibson

SIOP Chairman                  ICCCPO Chairman                SIOP Nurses Committee

This project was inspired by the

KID, ops., Czech Republic www.lifebook.cz  

[Club Interactive House, a non-profit organization]

Photo Exhibition and LIFEBOOK – Ales Kysela, Director

Helpful Tips for Facilitators

During the test phase of this project we have been able to determine some good ways to present this project to children and parents.  We found that:

-  every child who was approached to take part in the pilot project enthusiastically agreed

-  all children were very creative in providing a unique point of view

-  parents and other patients took an active role in support of the child photographer

-  clinic and hospital staff fully participated by allowing to have their pictures taken

-  the activity became a therapeutic tool to get children out and about to take pictures

-  everybody who was involved had a lot of fun!

We found that we had to be very organized to keep track of who was taking each picture.  This is particularly important if several children are sharing a digital camera.  We created this helpful table to help keep track of all the photos that were taken.

Name:                                          Age:        

Diagnosis:                                            

For older children, we asked them to fill out this table while they were taking the pictures.  We asked them to describe what they were taking the picture of using their own words.  Parents were actively involved with the younger children, as they were the people who kept records of the photos.

Organizers should create some kind of a reward for the children who participate.  We provided photo albums for all the children who participated so they could keep their photos with them.  Another suggestion is to create a certificate for all the children who participated.  The organizers will send a certificate to all children whose photos are chosen for the exhibit.

It is very important to keep very good record of the photos each child takes.  With many submissions and in sending pictures to another person, it is possible to have a mix up.  Please label all materials clearly.

Have cameras on-hand waiting for the children.  Point and shoot, auto-focus cameras work best with children.  If possible, allow the children to keep the cameras for the entire week.  Disposable cameras may be best suited for the project if they are available in your area.

When developing pictures, please make two copies so that the children can keep a copy of all of their pictures.  We will be unable to return any photos used in the exhibit.

Children and parents may not be aware of ICCCPO or SIOP and may ask about the organizations.

Instructions may need to be provided more than once.  If possible be at the clinic/hospital while pictures are being taken so that you can answer any questions.

Try to avoid giving children suggestions of what they should take pictures of.  Tell them that they can take a picture of anything that they would like to share with others – in other words, pictures that describe how they are feeling, doing, seeing or want to share with us.

If you have any further questions please feel free to send us your question through Email at:

 through-my-eyes@kidscancercare.ab.ca

This project may take a lot some effort in organizing.  We believe that you will be very happy with the results.  Have fun and enjoy the project and please remember -- everyone’s participation will help us to tell the world about childhood cancer.

Thank you!

Through My Eyes Project Committee

Instructions for Children Taking Photos

We would like you to join us in creating a very special photo exhibit.  Children like you from all around the world are being invited to take pictures of your experience in the hospital.  This is a chance for you to show the adults, parents, doctors and nurses, what it looks like “Through Your Eyes” while you are getting your treatment.  You can take pictures of the hospital, your room, the machines that help you, or the special people that care for you while you are in the hospital.  Have you ever tried to explain to someone about the things you have to experience with treatment and taking medicine?  Now you can actually take a picture to show them.

You will be provided with the camera for you to use.  Your job is to show the world what your eyes are seeing.  If you have to stay in bed, you can still take pictures while lying down.  What do things look like from a wheelchair or while you are going in for a procedure?  This is your chance to show the world what it is like as a child going through treatments.

You will have to keep track of all the people and things you take a picture of.  You may need the help of an adult to do this.  Before taking a picture of someone you need to get their permission and have them sign a paper. Your parent or another adult can help with that part.  Once you take the picture you will need to tell the adult what you were looking at and why you chose to take that picture.  When you are done taking all your pictures, please return the camera to the person who gave it to you.  They will make sure that the pictures are developed and sent in to us.  Make sure that they know your name and how old you are so that we can show everyone the great picture and they will know who took it.

Of all the pictures taken, some will be selected and be sent to Canada where they will be shown at a conference for doctors, nurses, parents and survivors.  We will have your pictures put up on a big display, like in a museum, for people to look at.  Our hope is that this exhibition will bring your fight against childhood cancer to everyone who is involved in making you healthy and strong again.

Thanks for helping us with this very special project and for allowing us to show your very important view of the world of childhood cancer.

Sincerely,

Through My Eyes Project Committee

Overview for Parents

Dear Parents:

The International Society of Pediatric Oncologists (SIOP) and the International Confederation of Childhood Cancer Parent Organizations (ICCCPO) are together coordinating a very special project. It is called “Through My Eyes: A Day in the Life of Children with Cancer Around the World.”  It is a photo project in which children will show us what they are experiencing during their treatments, captured during the time they spend in both the inpatient and outpatient clinics throughout the world.

This is a truly an international project and our hope is that there will be more than 100 children’s cancer clinics throughout the world participating in it.  During the week beginning February 15^th (International Childhood Cancer Day) to February 22, is when children around the world will take the photos that will be used in the exhibition.

The photo exhibition will be shown in Vancouver, Canada during an international childhood cancer conference that is attended by pediatric oncologists, nurses, psychologists and parent and survivor group leaders.  Along with 4 to 5 photos from each hospital there will be an explanation about the challenges faced by each oncology program and another describing what brings them hope, joy and a belief in tomorrow. We believe that this project will tell us a very powerful story about the world of children’s cancer from the child’s point-of-view. It will also educate us about the work that needs to be done to help other countries in their fight against childhood cancer. 

We would like to ask for your child’s participation in this program. Your help is truly appreciated and thank you for encouraging and aiding your child in taking the photos for this project.

Sincerely,

Christine Wandzura, M.S.M.

Project Coordinator,

Through My Eyes: A Day in the Life of Children with Cancer Around the World

c/o Kids Cancer Care Foundation of Alberta

Suite 302, 609 – 14^th Street NW

Calgary, Alberta T2N 2A1 CANADA

Email: through-my-eyes@kidscancercare.ab.ca

 PHOTO SUBMISSION, RELEASE AND CONSENT

Complete this form for each photo being submitted.

In connection with the submission of a photograph, I transfer all copyright and moral rights I may have and consent to the use of the photograph and my personal information.  I understand that the photograph may be used for public display and may be published electronically or physically without further consent.  I understand that the photograph and the text will not be returned.

Photographer:

All persons depicted in the photograph must sign this consent.

I hereby consent to the use of my image on public display or publication without any payment of any kind.

Institutional Contact: