Advice for supporting family of child diagnosed with osteosarcoma

[TheHouseofMirth]

A child in my son's Year 2 class at school is just about to start 8 months chemo for bone cancer.

We've organised a collection to buy him a present to cheer him up a bit whilst he's in hospital and I'm just wondering if anyone could suggest what kinds of things are most appeciated by children in that situation?

At the moment his parents are, understandably, shell-shocked by all that is going on. We are planning a rota to provide them with home-cooked meals a few times a week but I am wondering if anyone with experience in this situation can suggest other ways we can help?

If I've posted this in the wrong place, and there is a better board to post on please can you let me know?

I think the most important thing is to make sure that support continues over the next months and maybe years. Children forget their friends very quickly when they aren't around, so making sure that two of them write to him every week to let him know what is happening at school/football/cubs so he keeps in the loop.

To support his parents, again, just making sure that the support and calls/texts/emails don't tail off. They'll be spending a fortune on hospital food, so things like Costa giftcards, WH Smith and M&S food vouchers (depends on the hospital of course) would be very much appreciated.

If they have other children, then obviously they'll need a lot of help to make their lives as normal as possible