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Sarah Cannon Shares how to Talk to Your Kids About a Cancer Diagnosis

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Headshot of Elissa Redding

Being diagnosed with cancer can be overwhelming – as you learn new terminology, create a treatment plan with your care team and adjust your daily life to new appointments and physical challenges.

Talking to your kids about your diagnosis is an added layer to this journey. Sarah Cannon, the cancer institute of HCA Healthcare, provides resources and support, including an oncology trained nurse navigator, to walk with you through your journey.

Elissa Redding, gastrointestinal nurse navigator at Sarah Cannon Cancer Institute at Swedish Medical Center in Denver, shares her insights on how to approach talking to children  (both young and old) about a diagnosis. Her main piece of advice…Use the communication style and environment that works best for each child. There is no one-size-fits-all method, but having the conversation is an important step.

Click here to learn how to share this news with your loved ones.

About HCA Healthcare

HCA Healthcare, one of the nation's leading providers of healthcare services, is comprised of 183 hospitals and more than 2,300 sites of care, in 20 states and the United Kingdom. Our more than 283,000 colleagues are connected by a single purpose — to give patients healthier tomorrows.

As an enterprise, we recognize the significant responsibility we have as a leading healthcare provider within each of the communities we serve, as well as the opportunity we have to improve the lives of the patients for whom we are entrusted to care. Through the compassion, knowledge and skill of our caregivers, and our ability to leverage our scale and innovative capabilities, HCA Healthcare is in a unique position to play a leading role in the transformation of care.

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