Background and aim Getting diagnosed with a cancer is a life crisis for many people. When children, the most precious beings of parents, are diagnosed with cancer, this affects them deeply. This study was designed to determine the views of mothers regarding with the feelings of the mother when their child have received a diagnosis of cancer.

Methods The study used the method of focus group interviews and face-to-face in-depth interviews for qualitative studies. Interviews were held with the mothers of 6 children with cancer on March 2014. Data was collected using a semi-structured questionnaire. The mothers’ verbal consents were obtained.

Results Mothers were asked about how they felt when they first heard about the diagnosis. Mother C said, ‘You get accustomed to everything; but not that diagnosis. When I first heard about the diagnosis, the hospital literally collapsed on me’. Mother H said, ‘We never expected that; we were just petrified and could eat nothing for days’. Two mothers expressed that the moment was by far the hardest moment of their lives. Regarding the question ‘How do you define cancer?’, the following statements were made; Mother E, ‘It is a disease exhausting hopes everyday’, and Mother C, ‘I have lost one of my relatives who was diagnosed with cancer. Cancer means death to me’.

Conclusion Diagnosis and treatment of cancer constitute a very challenging process both for the child and parents. Thus, healthcare professionals should provide the convenient support and consultancy for them as from the outset.