My son was diagnosed with AML at 16. He is now in remission and 18. We lived in the hospital for 6 months. No matter how strong your friend is, she and her family will need a lot of support. Follow your friends leads, if she wants you there to talk, be there, don’t push her to express how she is feeling, and don’t treat her like she has cancer. I was there with my son every day and night, and a lot of that time was spent just being there in the room with him. He didn’t want to talk or socialize a lot of the time, so I was there on the couch in his room just to be there, watching tv not trying to engage him in anything. Sometimes the best thing to do is to be there and do nothing, because sometimes “nothing” can be the biggest help of all. Another bit of advice, don’t cry in front of your friend, with my son he felt like he had to be strong for everyone else because they were upset. I never cried in front of my son, and that made him feel more comfortable to be able to cry when he wanted and needed to, he could be more open about his feelings with me because he didnt have to be strong for me. Good luck to you and your friend. Be strong and supportive. May God bless you both and give you the strength you will need! ksevere69@aol.com