Mothers’ Lived Experiences in Caring for Adolescents with Leukemia in the Northeast of Thailand

Abstract

Aim: This research was to explored the lived experiences of the mothers caring for adolescents with leukemia, using a qualitative research method based on the concept of interpretative phenomenology/ hermeneutic phenomenology. Methods: Data were collected by in-depth interviews with 15 mothers of the adolescents with leukemia who had been treated or followed up for treatment in the pediatric cancer ward and the pediatric outpatient department in a tertiary hospital in the northeastern region of Thailand. The qualitative data were analyzed based on the technique of Diekelmann and Allen. Results: The study results revealed the meanings of mothers caring for adolescents with leukemia and experience of leukemia, which can be summarized into the following key points. 1) The meaning of life as mothers of adolescents with leukemia was defined as a suffer life. 2) The lived experiences of mothers of adolescents with leukemia consisted of 3 sub-themes: (1) caring with patience (providing care based on the symptoms, strengthening the mind, need to be the ones who suffer instead of seeing their children suffer), (2) a life of struggle (financial struggles, psychological struggles, supporting received) and (3) beliefs and care (beliefs -based care and beliefs -based parenting). Conclusion: The results of this research led to a clearer understanding about the experiences of mothers of adolescents with leukemia. The data from the study can be used to support practice and management of nursing education and research in the future. Keywords: Mothers’ Lived Experiences, Caring, Adolescents with Leukemia, Phenomenology