About Us
Because the Mental Health of Your Family Matters
Cancer & Me is a compassionate online resource created to support families navigating the emotional and practical challenges of a cancer diagnosis.
Founded by Dr Katherine Schmidhofer, psychologist and two-time cancer survivor, this platform brings together clinical expertise and lived experience to offer families reliable, age-appropriate guidance during one of life’s most difficult times. We understand that when a parent is diagnosed with cancer, the whole family is affected — especially children. The uncertainty, fear, and emotional weight can feel overwhelming.
This website exists to bridge the gap between medical care and family wellbeing. Here, you’ll find:
- Practical tools to help parents talk to their children about cancer
- Age-specific strategies to support emotional resilience in children
- Evidence-informed resources for managing stress, anxiety, and grief
- Supportive guidance for parents and caregivers, grounded in psychological best practice
Whether you’re newly diagnosed or in the midst of treatment, Cancer & Me is here to offer clarity, connection, and comfort. You don’t have to face this alone.
About the Book
When a parent is diagnosed with cancer, disclosing the illness to their children can feel even more overwhelming than the diagnosis itself. Mum, Me & the C: A Gentle Guide to Helping Children Understand and Cope When a Parent Has Cancer is here to help. This innovative interactive guide – created by a psychologist and cancer survivor – is an essential resource for families navigating the challenges of cancer. Using comforting metaphors and evidence-based psychological coping strategies, this book aims to educate children about cancer, helping them understand and process their emotions while finding strength during their mother’s diagnosis and treatment. Beautifully written and illustrated, Mum, Me & the C transforms a difficult topic into an age-appropriate, empowering journey. It offers parents a compassionate, practical way to begin honest conversations, answer tough questions, and reassure children that even in hard times, love, connection, and hope can shine the brightest.
Bridges the gap between medical reality and emotional understanding — helping parents guide their children through a cancer diagnosis with honesty, compassion, and psychological expertise.
- Written by a psychologist and mother who understands the emotional terrain
- Child-friendly language and age-appropriate explanations about cancer
- Helps parents navigate the hardest conversations with clarity and care
- Includes professional coping strategies, illustrations, and QR-accessible resources
- Provides emotional scaffolding for primary school-aged children
- Grounded in evidence-based psychology, but easy to read and reassuring
