Mothers’ experiences of caring for a child with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in the West Bank, Palestine: A qualitative study

Background: Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) is the most common childhood cancer globally and requires prolonged, intensive treatment that places substantial demands on families. Mothers often assume primary caregiving roles; however, their experiences in conflict-affected settings remain underexplored. Objective: This study aimed to explore the experiences of Palestinian mothers caring for a child diagnosed with ALL in the West Bank. Methods: A qualitative descriptive study included fifteen mothers of children diagnosed with ALL and receiving treatment at Beit Jala Governmental Hospital, who were recruited using purposive sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, transcribed verbatim and analyzed using qualitative content analysis following the approach of Graneheim and Lundman (2004). Results: The study identified five major themes and eighteen sub-themes reflecting mothers’ experiences: emotional issues (shock and disbelief, negative emotions, denial and rejection); hindrances due to political situations (limited health care access, feeling isolated due to closures); impact of the child’s illness (caregiver burden vs. protective bonding, financial strain, loss of previous life, sibling neglect, shift in the role of the mother, marital life impact, challenges in balancing home routine); resilience and endurance (leveraging social support networks, fatalism and religious faith as a framework, cultivating optimism and positive outlook); and mothers’ needs to enhance resilience (emotional and psychological support, educational and informational needs, financial needs). Conclusion: Mothers caring for children with ALL in the West Bank face profound emotional, social, and structural challenges shaped by both illness-related and political contextual factors. Despite these adversities, mothers demonstrate resilience through social support networks, religious faith, and optimism. Family-centered and context-sensitive interventions that address emotional, educational, and financial needs are essential for strengthening maternal resilience and improving care outcomes.