Family is the basic unit of the social community, and as such it is an important institution in every society and it ranks very high on the scale of values. Family is a system comprised of independent members, where every member is influenced by the system as a whole, but where every member simultaneously influences the wellbeing and the functioning of the system. Thus the health/illness of an individual influences the family and vice versa, the family influences the health/illness of an individual. Health can be defined as a state of harmony, and illness can be defined as a disrupted state of harmony in human organism. Illness is a condition which disables a person to a certain extent and during a certain period of time. Every person is prone to being ill, but not every person reacts equally on illness. Reaction will depend on various factors, including basic personality structure, the age at which the illness occurs, the type of illness, and the support system that the person has during the illness. When a person becomes ill, it seeks support in other people, usually in family members or close friends. Illness does not only leave a mark on the person affected by it, but the illness affects the entire family because every ill person is a part of a certain family. The mere fact that one member of the family is ill changes the current family situation. The family ceases to function the way it used to do, family members are under pressure and overwhelmed with anxiety, and it is extremely difficult for them to deal with the upcoming problems and set their priorities. The occurrence of an acute, namely a short-term illness does not significantly disrupt relationships within the family, whilst the occurrence of a serious, long-term or chronic, terminal illness can significantly or permanently change the relationships and distribution of roles among the family members, as well as the course of their lives.