Young children are unable to converse intellectually about their pain levels, making pain management difficult, if not impossible. I have created a book to assist parents, doctors, and nursing staff to accurately assess children’s pain.

This book was borne out of my personal experience in dealing with my own little girl’s long and difficult journey with a malignant tumour which, ultimately, took her life. Amanda developed her own code using colour to describe her varying pain levels. It appears that this code is universal and can be adapted by any child who is experiencing pain.

Amanda was two and a half years old when she was diagnosed with a Brain Stem Glioma (Tumour). I explained to her that she had a ball in her head that was not supposed to be there. Early on in Amanda’s treatment, she told me that the ball in her head was green. Over the next two weeks, Amanda’s, ball had a colour each day. I did not understand the significance of these colours at first, but I recorded them in my journal. Upon reviewing my journal, I discovered that she kept repeating the same five colours. Amanda put the colours in order from the worst pain to no pain. This information helped immensely throughout her treatment.

Her doctor at Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital and Medical Center was intrigued by Amanda’s system. Each day he would ask: “What colour are we today?” By Amanda’s response, the doctor knew her pain level and therefore he was able to administer her pain medication accordingly.