UNMC recently featured a profile of Bailey Hendricks, PhD, an assistant professor in the UNMC College of Nursing, on its Instagram (@iamunmc) and Facebook (@unmcedu) accounts.
Dr. Hendricks’ research focuses on adolescent caregivers, children under 18 who help care for a parent with cancer. When she was 16, her mother was diagnosed with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer.
Dr. Hendricks spoke about this experience and how it shaped her career and research focus. She also reached out to anyone who goes through a similar experience.
Here is Dr. Hendricks’ perspective in her own words:
“My interest in this topic began in childhood. When I was 16, my mother was diagnosed with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer. From her diagnosis until her death two years later, my responsibilities shifted to accommodate the multiple impacts of cancer – I had taken on the role of a caring adolescent without even realizing it.
“Through this experience, I realized early on that cancer affects not only the person diagnosed, but also their loved ones. I came to nursing because I wanted to better understand the impact of the disease on families and mitigate its multifaceted effects. During my transition from nursing to PhD, I delved deeper into the experiences of adolescent caregivers and examined their role in various disease contexts. Eventually, I focused on families affected by cancer.
“I think there are a lot of negative aspects associated with the idea of having to care for children. People don’t like to imagine children helping to care for their parents, but the longer I work in this field of research, the more people I meet who have had this experience. After all, coping with a cancer diagnosis often affects the whole family. I want people to know that there is nothing negative about a child taking on new roles and responsibilities because of a parent’s cancer diagnosis – it only promotes stigma and fear.
“Instead, I want people to realise that cancer brings many changes to family dynamics. Children may be asked or volunteer to take on additional responsibilities. This does not automatically mean that there is something wrong. I hope that in this role I can support young people in care so that any potential negative consequences can be minimised and positive outcomes can be enhanced. I also want to help change our attitudes towards young people in care so that children in this role are better recognised, understood and supported.
“Ultimately, I am grateful for my experiences so far, even though they have been challenging, because they have put me on the path to nursing science and now I can work to make life easier for children in a similar situation.
“If you or someone you know has had a similar experience, I encourage you to contact me directly ([email protected]). I am continually working on research projects related to adolescent oncology care and would welcome anyone who would like to participate and share their experiences.”
Would you like to be featured? Would you like to nominate a fellow UNMC member? Send an email to Aurelie Villard in UNMC Strategic Communications.
Visit UNMC online: Web | Instagram | Facebook | X (Twitter) | YouTube page | TikTok
