THE DEATH OF A CHILD causes almost unendurable pain and anguish for the loved ones left behind. Death from childhood cancer comes after months or years of debilitating treatment, emotional swings, and financial difficulties. The family begins the years of grief already exhausted from the cancer treatment. It is truly every parent’s worst nightmare.

In this chapter, many parents share their innermost thoughts and feelings about their decisions to transition from active treatment, to involve hospice, and to choose death at home or in the hospital, and their experiences with grief. It made no difference whether parents had recently lost a child or whether it happened years before—tears flowed when talking about their family’s experience. Because family members and friends can be strong sources of support, or casualties of the grieving process, parents describe words and actions that help, and they offer suggestions about what words and actions to avoid. Grief has as many facets as there are grieving parents; what follows are the experiences of a few.