Table 1. Theme, category, and subcategory.

Theme
Despair turns gradually into a sense of security, with a sustained focus on and a close interaction with the child
Category	Subcategory
Cancer and cancer treatment turn life upside down and affect the entire family	Experiencing shock and overwhelming feelings
	Being anxious about the child’s health and survival
	Dealing with practical issues and sharing responsibility
	Receiving emotional and practical support from family, relatives, friends, coworkers and staff
Radiotherapy includes experiencing the child’s suffering	Experiencing the child’s physical symptoms
	Experiencing the child’s emotional distress and endurance
Radiotherapy includes experiencing intense feelings	Being close to the child and sharing similar feelings
	Feeling they are abandoning the child during the procedure
Radiotherapy includes preparation by skilled and empathetic staff	Experiencing staff having time and taking time to provide individualized information and guidance
	Experiencing having confidence in the staff
	Experiencing staff showing various degrees of empathy and consideration, and taking good care
Radiotherapy includes the experience of gradually learning to cope with the process	Experiencing getting used to the process over time
	Finding facilitating routines and coping strategies
Parents’ suggestions for improvements during radiotherapy	Requesting concrete and repeated information
	Needing individualized distractions and well thought-out procedures
	Needing routines and everyday life
	Requesting child-friendly and family-friendly staff in a child-friendly environment