E. coli, Cancer, and Cascading Grief: an interview with Jill Harding
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Grant Harding, receiving cancer treatment
Sometimes in life, one disruptive life event falls fast on the heels of another. This can feel especially devastating when the pain affects your children. And that is what we are going to be talking about today.
My guest is Jill Harding. She has parented two children through some really hard stuff. Her oldest child, Grant, was diagnosed with leukemia and her middle child, Berkley, had a life-threatening bout of E. coli. You will get a behind the scenes look at the challenges and even joy along the journey and learn how to be a better manager, coworker, or friend to people living through similar situations.
You can find the Handle with Care: Empathy at Work podcast on Google Play, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. And you can listen here…
Berkley Harding
Here are three key takeaways from my conversation with Jill…
There are many restrictions for an individual living with cancer. Hearing all of the challenges with just eating (the concerns about leftovers, the need to clean food etc) gave me a deeper appreciation of how tenuous life and infection can be. With that in mind, learning a little more before giving gifts (like flowers) is important.
Consider what creative engagement with a child who is immunocompromised (or battling COVID) looks like. I loved the story of play dates through a window with walkie talkies (plus there was the added benefit of giving parents a chance to rest).
Remember that “Tell me how I can help” oftentimes is an unhelpful question to people who are already living through something hard. Many times, people don’t know in the moment what they need and they might feel tentative following up with a request afterwards. Instead, know what you can offer (perhaps a grocery drop-off, a Door Dash certificate, or doing some yard work) and extend a specific offer of help.
The Harding Family