In children, life-threatening illnesses (LTIs) present with both physical and psychosocial side
effects, which seem to contribute to the perpetuation of hopelessness and fear among the
children and their families. Children with LTIs often experience regular and painful treatment
routines. A LTI not only impacts on the child but also on the family. LTIs put families in a
critical and vulnerable situation, evoking emotions such as shock, disbelief and fear. Hope
and coping strategies appear to be crucial for both children and their families when facing the
effects of a LTI on a child. While medical intervention strategies are used to alleviate
physical side effects, psychosocial intervention strategies (as referred to in this research
study) that are focused on improving the well-being of the child and family, appear to be
limited. Psychosocial interventions are defined as any intervention that emphasizes
psychological or social factors, rather than biological factors. Psychosocial intervention
strategies, such as „dream-come-true‟ projects, appear to ameliorate distress, offer respite,
decrease isolation, empower individuals, increase self-confidence and give the children
unique opportunities to connect with their families in a positive, normal way. Such a
psychosocial intervention strategy is offered by the Reach For A Dream Foundation (RFAD)
in South Africa. The experiences of the recipients of RFAD „dream-come-true‟ projects were
the focus of this study. The goal of this research study was to study the „dream-come-true‟
psychosocial experiences of children/adolescents and their families, by means of a narrative
enquiry design. This design allowed participants to tell their stories truthfully, giving the
researcher the opportunity to immerse herself in the personal experience of each participant.
Participants were purposively, and then randomly, selected from an RFAD client list. A
total of six children/adolescents, between the ages of 8 and 18 years, were randomly selected
from Johannesburg and the surrounding areas. The children/adolescents and both parents
were interviewed, except for one father who was not present (17 participants in total).
Child/adolescent interviews included the use of fun, tactile emotive cushions to assist the
participants to recognize emotions they had felt „pre-dream‟, during the „dream‟, and „postdream‟.
Semi-structured, individual in-depth interviews were used to interview parent
participants. The parent‟s story was not interrupted, thereby providing the opportunity for a
fluid narrative. In addition to interviews, the researcher made field notes of the participant‟s
reactions, body language and emotions after each interview. All interviews were recorded and
transcribed. Tesch‟s (1990) approach was used to identify, analyse and report patterns within
the data. The findings of this study suggest that intervention strategies improve emotional
health and overall wellness in participants. „Pre-dream‟ feelings of fear, sadness, loneliness
and a lack of normality in everyday life, were prominent themes. Participating parents
expressed anger, helplessness and guilt about being unable to help their children.
During the „dream-come-true‟ experience, the predominant themes that emerged were
excitement, amazement and gratitude. The theme of disbelief in the reality and experience of
the „dream‟ was also prominent. „Post-dream‟, the participants reported a more positive,
confident and hopeful outlook. This research appeared to yield some important information
on the possible benefits of psychosocial intervention strategies, as they seemed helpful in
addressing the challenges presented by LTIs in children/adolescents. / MA (Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:nwu/oai:dspace.nwu.ac.za:10394/15463 |
| Date | January 2014 |
| Creators | Myburgh, Debra Anne |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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