My Mom Has Breast Cancer: A Guide for Families is an informational program produced by KIDSCOPE featuring interviews with seven children and four mothers who have experienced breast cancer treatment firsthand. In the interviews, the children, who have successfully weathered this experience, describe their reactions and feelings, particularly the fear of the loss of their mother at the time of diagnosis. The children also describe their difficulties learning to cope with a significantly altered family life. In spite of the intense emotions displayed and the upsetting experiences described, the children and mothers maintain an optimistic view of life. This is illustrated by a variety of coping strategies, including humor.

The program attempts to elucidate the various changes in a family's life, for which many families are unprepared. Upsetting alterations in the mother's appearance due to surgery (such as mastectomy) and chemotherapy are addressed. The side effects of body disfigurement, loss of hair, pallor, as well as a significant loss of energy and increased irritability are noted by many of the children. The mother's describe their own reactions and the ways in which the children coped and helped them to cope.

The goal of the program is to reduce families' uncertainty and stress as they manage the challenge of a parent's diagnosis and treatment by providing models of other families who have survived this crisis. With increased knowledge of the changes to come, we believe that parents will be able to better assist their children.

This informational program is featured in English and Spanish on our new DVD. A narrated version of our comic book, Kemoshark, is also included in English and Spanish on the DVD

My Mom Has Breast Cancer: A Guide for Families (VHS) was shared with the Community Service Section of many Blockbuster Video stores, public libraries, cancer centers, and organizations listed in our People and Places section. It may be available to you through these organizations. If it is not available to you locally, or you would prefer our new DVD product, click below to order.