By Carissa Hodgson, LCSW, OSW-C, Director of Programs and Community Outreach at Bright Spot Network
When a parent is diagnosed with metastatic cancer, the impact is felt far beyond the physical body. It moves through the household like an invisible thread—tightening routines, reshaping roles, and altering emotional landscapes in subtle and profound ways.
For parents of young children, the challenges multiply: How do you hold space for a serious diagnosis while still packing school lunches, reading bedtime stories, and helping little ones navigate their big feelings?
At Bright Spot Network, we are dedicated to supporting parents who are raising young children while living with cancer. While our programming supports all parents with cancer, we have a deep understanding of the unique pressures faced by those with advanced or metastatic diagnoses.
Cancer Enters Every Room
It’s tempting to focus solely on the medical aspects of a metastatic diagnosis: treatment protocols, clinical trials, scans, and side effects. But life doesn’t stop just because cancer begins. For parents, there’s no “pause” button. Children still need help getting dressed, reminders to brush their teeth, and emotional reassurance when they sense something is different.
And they do sense it.
Even young children, who may not understand the word “cancer,” are incredibly perceptive. They pick up on whispered conversations, sudden changes in routine, and the emotional energy of the household. When parents try to protect their children by shielding them from what’s going on, kids often fill in the blanks themselves—and this can create more fear than truth.
That’s why open, developmentally appropriate communication is one of the pillars of our work. Through tailored downloadable guides, videos, children’s books, webinars, parent panels, and support groups, we guide parents on how to talk to their children about cancer in honest, loving, and age-sensitive ways. We believe that information, when shared with care, is a tool for connection.
The Weight Behind the Door
One of the most overlooked challenges of living with metastatic cancer as a parent is the invisible labor it demands. Many of the parents we work with are mothers—and often primary caregivers—carrying the dual burden of managing their illness while maintaining a sense of normalcy for their children. This emotional labor is exhausting, and frequently unacknowledged.
We often hear from parents that they feel isolated in traditional cancer spaces, where conversations center on survivorship or remission—experiences that don’t match their reality. Bright Spot Network aims to create a more inclusive narrative, one that honors the ongoing, often uncertain path of living with metastatic disease.
You’re Not the Only House on This Street
At Bright Spot Network, we create safe, welcoming spaces to be seen by other parents who truly get it. There’s just nothing like being with another parent who sees you without judgment—because they are living this too.
Our weekly Virtual Support Group for Parents with Stage IV Cancer provides meaningful connections where parents can speak freely about the complexities they face. Groups are facilitated by mental health professionals, but parents lead the way—sharing empathy, solidarity, and practical advice. These are not just spaces to vent; they are spaces to witness and be witnessed.
Whether it’s managing grief and anticipatory loss, navigating co-parenting during treatment, or simply needing a place to not feel alone, these groups are a lifeline.
Supporting the Whole Household
We know that partners, co-parents, and children all need support. That’s why we offer programs for everyone in the family, including a twice-monthly Virtual Support Group for Partners and a monthly Bright Circle/Club group for children.
Our resources are family-centered and kid-approved. We incorporate lived experience and clinical expertise into all of our programs and materials—often hearing from parents that what we offer is exactly what they were looking for, even if they didn’t know they needed it.
Our free Bright Reads book program includes children’s books that center around a mom with metastatic cancer. Reading together offers countless benefits—educating kids about cancer and treatment, helping them cope with big feelings, and validating their experiences through stories and images of families like their own. That connection between parent and child while reading is invaluable, reinforcing security, love, and attachment.
Many moms with metastatic breast cancer are parenting from the couch. Our free Bright Box provides all the supplies you’ll need to engage in art activities with your child—even while lying down. We also offer a dedicated page on our website with resources for parents living with advanced or chronic cancer, including a recorded webinar about how to support your children through the experience.
A Light in the Window
Living with metastatic breast cancer while raising young children is an experience that defies easy answers. It’s layered with love and loss, strength and sorrow, everyday joy and existential fear.
At Bright Spot Network, we don’t offer platitudes—we offer presence. We walk alongside families through the unthinkable, honoring their resilience while helping them hold space for grief, laughter, connection, and hope.
If you’re parenting with cancer, or caring for someone who is, we hope you’ll explore our resources, join a group, or simply reach out. You don’t have to navigate this alone.
Learn more at brightspotnetwork.org
