Testimonianze da un gruppo di volontari che affiancano i pazienti e i loro familiari in un reparto di onco-ematologia pediatrica

The research group the “Pupazzo di Garza” is involved, since 2002, in providing evidence ad support in order to devise and support good practices in all the domains that are related to potentially mortal illness in childwood and adolescence. Pediatric oncology is perceived as a real challange for health care professionals and volunteers, who are confronted with high levels of suffering in the patients and family members, incertitude with respect to the future and often stressing therapeutic protocols in the present. The group carried out a hermeneutic phenomenological study with the volun- teers of the Helios Association in Florence: this project was designed in or- der to support the volunteers of the Pediatric Onco-Hematology Ward at the A. Meyer Hospital in Florence. After having undergone an in-depth inter- view, participants took part in a series of feedback meetings where research- ers outlined the mayor themes (phenomenologic categories) emerging from the data. The current study examines the results of the interviews held with five pediatric onco-hematology volunteers who experienced great difficulty in working in such a painful environment. Nonetheless they considered the experience as extremely rewarding, due to the bonds they were able to estab- lish with children and the family members along their very prolonged perma- nence in the Ward.