Resilience

In ecology, “resilience” has been defined as “two com­peting fashions that emphasize two different aspects of stability” (10). It may be said that when a child is diag­nosed with a serious illness or injury, the two “com­peting forces” are the family system and the medical setting.

In this section, the author explores the litera­ture pertaining to resilience—changes that occur in the family when their child has been diagnosed with a serious illness, disability, or injury, as well as the health care team—and suggest interventions for the family to once again achieve homeostasis. There will be further exploration of a framework that will not only engage practitioners in using these models when a child or adolesencent is diagnosed with a serious ill­ness or injury, but also assist families to anticipate and plan for the future (11).

The challenge of keeping consistent schedules and balancing the predictability or unpredictability of the child with illness or disability is not new. The fami­ly's life is often set between constancy and change, or between predictability and unpredictability. Roland and Walsh imply that “a family resilience framework is grounded in the recognition that crises and persis­tent challenges [affect] the whole family and, in turn, key family processes mediate the adaptation of all members and their relationships” (11). Therefore, the family requires a new road map along this journey. A fluid road map, where there are resources along the way to provide information, guidance, and support, is necessary.