Researach that Benefits Children and Families--Uplifting Stories

I would like to share the story of a little boy name Alijah who was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia  (ALL).  When Alijah was two years old his parents noticed that she started crawling again.  He would crawl with his foot up in the air like it was hurting.  This continued for a few days and soon afterward Alijah started to have high fever at night. 

Alijah was diagnosed in 2006 with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) after the doctor performed a bone marrow biopsy and found leukemia cells in his marrow.  The doctor told the family they were lucky to this extent though the cancer was once almost fatal, now it is a very treatable disease.

Today, Alijah is still being treated for leukemia.  For Alijah, infusions and transfusions are facts of life.  However, thanks to research like that sponsored by Children’s Cancer Research Fund, today more than 80 percent of children with ALL are cured.

You can read Alijah’s story and many more like this at the website listed below.

Referemce

Retrieved from http://www.childrenscancer.org/stories-of-hope/kids-stories/alijah.html

Your Personal Research Journey

My subtopic is:  What parents do to enhance secure attachment in their children.

I chose this topic because I have witnessed children that are withdrawn from other young children when they engage in play or are in the same classroom.  I often wonder why is that child withdrawn.  Is it because of shyness or is it because the child do not feel secure in their environment?  This leads me to my subtopic of researching what parents can do to enhance secure attachment in thier children.

My personal experience with this simulation process happened this past summer while having to do some classroom observation for one of my classes.  I observed a little boy that was crying and clinging to his mother when she brought him into the classroom.  I asked the teacher if it was his first day and she replied, "no, he has been coming here everyday since he was a baby and he does this everyday."  I couldn't help but to wonder why this child was so insecure and what could his parents and caregivers do to give him the feeling of security that is needed away from his parents.

Insight that I have gained that I believe is important in first understanding what can be done to enhance secure attachment in their children is to understand that, "attachments begin to form in early infancy, solidify by age 1, and influence a person's close relationships throughout life."  Children have to feel secure and safe in their environments.

If anyone have any advice or insight that might be helpful to me with this process, I would appreciate it very much and the same goes for myself in helping someone with their research.

Reference

Berger, K.S. (2009).  The Developing Person Through Childhood (5th ed.) New York, NY: Worth Publishers.