MarrowkidzInformation and advice for children affected by aplastic anaemia Welcome to MarrowKidz from The Aplastic Anaemia Trust. Here you can find resources for children affected by aplastic anaemia. Whether you have been diagnosed with aplastic anaemia yourself, or someone in your family or a friend has been diagnosed, this is where you'll find expert information about what's happening, and advice from other children who have been through aplastic anaemia too! A note for adults and teens: We've moved some things around! You'll now find treatment information, resources for parents, schools and teenagers on our main website. Marrowkidz About your AA and treatment Advice from other children Support a friend or family member Watch videos More goodies My friend has aplastic anaemia A guide for children supporting a friend If you are reading this, it is because a friend or someone you know has been told they have an illness called aplastic anaemia. You might be feeling very shocked about this right now, and not sure about what to do or how you can help. The good news is that you can help, just by being there for them. My friend has aplastic anaemia. What does this mean? Aplastic anaemia is an illness of the blood. It’s caused by the bone marrow (the stuff inside your bones) not working properly. In people with aplastic anaemia, the bone marrow doesn’t make enough of the three main types of blood cell: Red blood cells carry oxygen around our bodies. They are the reason your blood is red. White blood cells help us to fight infections and germs. Platelets stop us from bruising and bleeding easily. In people with aplastic anaemia, the bone marrow doesn’t make enough stem cells. It’s not always easy to tell why aplastic anaemia happens, but it is not something you can catch, and it doesn’t happen because of something you or your brother or sister did or didn’t do. You can find out more about aplastic anaemia here: What is aplastic anaemia? How will my friend be feeling? Your friend might be feeling pretty poorly, with tiredness, headaches and infections. They might need something called a blood transfusion. This is where healthy blood is given to them by a kind person called a donor. They might have something called a stem cell transplant, where the stem cells made by their bone marrow (which turn into blood cells) are replaced with somebody else’s. If this happens, your friend will need a lot of time to get better. > How can I help? Let your friend know you’re thinking of them and check in via text or message, but don’t always expect a quick reply. Your parents can send a message or text to your friend’s parents from you, and they can pass this on. Even sending a short text to say hello can let somebody know that you’re thinking of them, and they can reply when they feel ready to. While it’s important that your friend knows that you’re there for them, they might feel very private about what’s happening to them and not want to talk about it. Always check before you visit your friend, both at home and in hospital. They might not always feel up to seeing you. Tell your parents if you don’t feel very well before you are due to visit your friend. If you’re feeling ill at all, it’s best to wait until you’re better to visit. It’s important that you don’t pass on any infections or viruses because their body won’t be strong enough to fight them off very well at the moment. If there are things like birthday parties taking place, let your friend know that they’re invited to them, but that you realise they might not be able to come. This can help your friend to feel included. What not to say or do Always remember that this is a difficult time for your friend. Here are a few things you should try not to do: • Don’t be upset if they don’t seem to be as interested in you and your friendship for a while. It doesn’t mean they don’t care. • Don’t just tell your friend that you’re sure they’ll be better soon. Their doctors will be talking to them about what needs to happen to help them get better and how long it will take. • Don’t expect your friend to be ‘back to normal’ soon. Their recovery will probably take a long time. Looking after yourself It can be hard when a friend is having a hard time because of something like aplastic anaemia. It’s important that you look after yourself too. If you have somebody else to talk to about how you feel about what’s happening to your friend, this might really help. But remember that this is a private thing for your friend, so have a think about who you want to talk to. Speaking to a grown-up about how you feel, like a parent or teacher, is a good idea. Try to take some time for yourself. Don’t get so caught up in what’s happening to your friend that you forget to look after yourself. Carry on living your own life as normal, and don’t feel bad because your friend can’t do everything you can do right now. This may be a difficult and complicated time for you. Keeping yourself fit and healthy and looking after your own happiness means that you’ll be able to support your friend better. Would you like this as a book? You can also order this guide as a free printed booklet, or ask a parent to order one for you here: Order one now Manage Cookie Preferences