When Silence Isn't An Option: Talking to Children about Illness

 Whether it's them or a family member, talking to children about illness and devastating diagnosis is one of the toughest things a parent or guardian has to do. Yet, no one, like the rest of raising a child, has a manual for the best way to do that.

So, of course, Sarah and Kelly tackle it head-on with Dr. Virginia Crabtree of St. Jude. They dive into what to say and when to say it, and comments to avoid for both parents and kids when dealing with a topic that we would rather never have to talk about.

Bring the tissues on this one, Forkkers. Join Us on the Unchosen Fork.

Guest Bio:  Dr. Virginia Crabtree
Dr. Valerie Crabtree is a full faculty Member in the Department of Psychology and Chief of Psychosocial Services at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. She holds a PhD in counseling psychology, and her specialty training is in pediatric behavioral sleep medicine, with a completed post-doctoral fellowship and faculty position in the Division of Pediatric Sleep Medicine at the University of Louisville. Dr. Crabtree’s research interests include sleep disturbances, fatigue, and daytime sleepiness in children undergoing active treatment for cancer as well as in cancer survivors. 

Dr. Crabtree is board-certified in behavioral sleep medicine and provides clinical services to children with cancer and hematological disorders, with a focus on directed interventions to improve sleep and fatigue in this population. She also has an interest in sleep and fatigue among medical trainees and has both published and presented on this topic across audiences. Dr. Crabtree and her co-author, Dr. Lisa Meltzer, published a book in 2015 entitled, “Pediatric Sleep Problems: A Clinician’s Guide to Behavioral Interventions.”

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