Adults with Childhood-Acquired Conditions

Only in the last half century have children with once uniformly fatal diseases, such as leukemia, sickle cell anemia, and cystic fibrosis, begun surviving into adulthood. Advances in medical treatment and care are responsible for extended life expectancy, improved quality of life, and the ability of many people diagnosed with these conditions to plan careers, get married, and have families of their own. However, adults with childhood-acquired conditions still face a number of medical and psychosocial issues that continue to impact not only the individual but also the entire family. These include ongoing and progression of symptoms over time, complications, and long-term effects from the disease and its treatment, the possibility of early death, barriers to following lifesaving medical treatment regimens, fertility issues and concerns ...