Surviving Then Thriving: The Father's Lived Experience of Their Child's Diagnosis with Chronic Illness

The 2018 National Survey of Children’s Health revealed millions of children live with one or more chronic health conditions, yet research continues to focus on the mother’s experience in caring for their children. Father experiences are not as well documented, leaving fathers’ emotional responses, coping patterns, and caregiving roles underexplored. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experience of fathers who had a child diagnosed with a chronic illness. This interpretive phenomenological study, guided by Parse’s Theory of Human Becoming, interviewed 7 fathers through 3rd party referral to uncover the essence of the phenomenon through heuristic interpretation. Fathers are surviving, then thriving, by taking ownership of their child’s future because of chronic illness. This study uncovers a transformative process not previously recognized in the literature to reveal how fathers adapt and engage in caregiving to foster resilience, growth, and empowerment that supports family stability and manage intergenerational health challenges.