Having a serious childhood illness such as cancer or a blood disorder may impact your career choices as an adult.
Some childhood illnesses and treatments can have long-term physical and mental side effects. These may affect the job functions you can perform.
Some childhood diseases and treatments can result in emotional and physical limitations, which may have an impact in the workplace.
Some issues may not appear until years after therapy. Common ones include problems with:
You may qualify for a vocational rehabilitation program. These are government services. They help people with physical, mental, and sensory disabilities prepare for and find a job. Every U.S. state has these programs.
Vocational rehabilitation programs require proof that a disability makes getting or keeping a job difficult. That proof could include:
Having an illness does not always qualify as a disability.
A hospital social worker can help you apply for vocational rehabilitation services.
If you qualify, a counselor will help develop a plan that may include:
You can also apply for financial aid for education. It can help with:
“Sometimes I make mistakes at work. But they are fixable mistakes. It might make things harder, but you keep going. My biggest tip is don't give up just because things seem hard.” —Garrett Hill
Hill is a 2-time childhood cancer survivor who has overcome many difficulties through hard work and learning to advocate for himself. The treatments that saved his life left him with health problems years later, including a learning disability. He now works in the insurance business in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
You may qualify for federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits if you cannot work due to disability.
In many states, people who get SSI benefits also get health insurance through Medicaid.
Turning 18 brings benefit changes. About 1 in 3 children with SSI benefits lose them when they turn 18. That is because the program looks at children and adults in different ways.
But some young adults qualify for benefits at 18 even though they did not get them as children. That is because, as children, their benefits were based on their parents’ income. But the SSI program considers people 18 and older to be a household of 1. That applies even if the person lives with their parents.
There are resources to help. A hospital social worker may help you apply for services.
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Reviewed: March 2024
