Striving to recapture our previous life: the experience of families with critically ill children.

The aim of this practice-based phenomenological study was to examine the experience of families with a critically ill child. Ten families were studied for a minimum of four months and a maximum of five years following the onset of a child's critical illness. 'Striving to recapture our previous life' was the central (systemic) phenomenon that characterized the overall struggles of these families. A number of specific phenomena were identified that related to the particular experiences of parents, siblings, and critically ill children. The findings of this study raise significant implications for the development of support strategies for these families.