title: "Parents a dead end life": The main experiences of parents of children with leukemia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The quantitative studies show that due to the widespread prevalence, high death rate, high treatment expenses, and long hospital stay, leukemia influences the families and their children to a great extent. In this regard, no qualitative study has been conducted in Iran. So, this study was conducted in Arak in 2011 with the aim of expressing the experiences of the parents whose children suffered from leukemia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using qualitative research approach, by applying content analysis method, 22 participants were interviewed in two educational hospitals during 2 months. The study was started by purposive sampling and continued by theoretical one. The data were analyzed based on the content analysis method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data analysis showed that insolvency, knapsack problems, cancer secrecy, trust on God, self-sacrifice, adaptation, medical malpractice, and hospital facilities were the level 3 codes of parents' experiences and "parents a dead end life" was the main theme of this study.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study, the experiences of the parents whose children suffered from cancer were studied deeply by the use of qualitative method, especially by the use of resources syncretism rather than studying quantitatively. Parents a dead end life emerged as the main theme of this study, emphasizing the necessity of paying further attention to the parents. On the other hand, making more use of parents' experiences and encouraging them helps make the treatment more effective. It is suggested that these experiences be shared with parents in the form of pamphlets distributed right at the beginning of the treatment process.
authors.affiliation: Medical Education Development Center, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran.
authors.forename: Rahmatollah
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jadidi
authors.affiliation: Nursing and Midwifery School, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran.
authors.forename: Davood
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hekmatpou
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Medical School, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran.
authors.forename: Aziz
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eghbali
authors.affiliation: BsN. Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran.
authors.forename: Fereshteh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Memari
authors.affiliation: Medical Education Development Center, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran.
authors.forename: Zohreh
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Anbari
keywords: Blood cancer; Iran; children; parents’ experiences; qualitative research