Behavioural responses
Mothers assumed responsibility for the child's health and,
in so doing, they did everything possible for their child
Many of the mothers reported that m dealing with their
situation they merely were doing what was required One
mother simply said 'You just deal with things as they
come' In the mothers' minds, there was no choice When
applauded for their efforts, they simply responded that
they were doing the only thing that they could do There
was no other option for the mother who loved and desired
the best for her child Simply not caring did not occur to
her The mother's own feelings of sadness, remorse and
anger were channelled into an attitude that was described
by many mothers as 'making the best of the situation as
there is nothing else I can do' In so doing, the mothers
learned to see the positive aspects of their situation Betty,
the mother of a 16-year-old boy with neurofibromatosis
who sustained a devastating stroke following surgery,
commented