Mother’s personal tragedy inspires childhood cancer organisation

Rainbows and Smiles founder and child life specialist Bonni Suckling explained the organisation focuses on supporting children with cancer and their families through practical help, emotional support and the simple, necessary act of staying in touch.

She shared why the non-profit organisation was important to her, as its establishment began through a painful personal experience with childhood cancer. Suckling shared that she wished she never knew so much information on childhood cancer, but she was forced to after her son, Jed Brady Thomas-Suckling, was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour at just three years old.

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“Until then, I was his mama doing the ordinary things families do,” she said. “Then suddenly, there were scans, unfamiliar medical words and conversations no parent is ever ready to hear. My son, Jed, had anaplastic astrocytoma. He died in 2011, aged six. Such a short sentence for something that changed every part of my life.”

Suckling described her son as a sweet boy who loved French toast, Lady Gaga, Buzz Lightyear and wholeheartedly loved gift-giving. This huge amount of love gave birth to the creation of Rainbows and Smiles in 2011 while he was still alive. While still experiencing the fear and pain that comes with having a loved one suffer from cancer, she wanted to help parents and children bring back the joy that seemed so far-fetched during that period of their lives. Suckling did this by providing specific gifts for children, a visit or something that would help bring a smile during that tough period.

As time went on and she started building relationships with many more families, she realised that so much more support was needed and the organisation grew to what it is today. “We are also there when treatment cannot cure a child, and when a family must learn how to live after their child has died. I have lived experience and a qualification and yet I personally still battle with prolonged grief. I don’t think, as a parent, you ever can be whole again. I know this because I still miss my son, every, single, day,” she said.

Suckling has dedicated her life to raising awareness on childhood cancer and helping communities put their experiences into perspective, highlighting the financial strain, disruption of treatment and the loneliness that comes with navigating this illness. “I cannot change what happened to Jed or any child. We are a team directly affected by childhood cancer, our work is personal, we do it to honour our children who have died and those who survive but live with the shrapnel of what cancer leaves behind,” she said.

She invites the community to assist where possible, noting that while fundraisers at sports clubs, schools or workplaces are welcome, second-hand items are not accepted because the children are immunocompromised. Should interested donors wish to donate gifts or toys, they are encouraged to reach out first so the organisation can match their generosity to what the various families and children need. For more information, email bonni@rainbowsandsmiles.org.za or visit Rainbowsandsmiles.org.

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Suckling concluded by sharing that, for a better survival rate, children should be diagnosed at early stages and get treated as soon as possible. The following childhood cancer early warning signs, provided by Suckling and her organisation, are based on Saint Siluan, who was a Russian monk who died on Mount Athos in 1938.

The Saint Siluan warning signs are:

• S-Seek: Medical help early for continuous symptoms,
• I-Eye: Look out for white spots in the eye, a new squint, new blindness or bulging eyeball,
• L-Lump: Look out for lumps in the abdomen, pelvis, head and neck, limbs, testes and glands,
• U: Unexplained: Look out for a prolonged fever over two weeks, noticeable loss of weight, fatigue, pallor, easy bleeding or bruising,
• A: Aching: Look out for aching joints, bones, back and easy fractures, and
• N: Neurological signs: Look out for a change in the child’s walk, speech, balance, regression of milestones, headache for more than a week or without vomiting and an enlarging head.

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