Linking to this theme, the ICPCN would like to use the month of October to run the #Hatsonforchildren’shospicecare Social Media campaign that not only raises awareness of children’s palliative care but also recognises the various and valuable members of a children’s palliative care multi-disciplinary team, all of whom work together to provide holistic and coordinated care to the child and to the family

Who cares? We do!

We thought that the English idiom of “wearing many different hats” was most appropriate and applicable when describing children’s palliative care teams. Our question to you is, “If you are a member of one of these teams, what hat or hats are you wearing?”

We know that some members will wear many hats, for example, mothers with very sick children often become expert nurses, counsellors, teachers and dieticians.

To more Informations

 

Little Stars begann als eine eindrucksvolle Serie von Kurzfilmen über Kinder und Jugendliche auf der ganzen Welt, welche die Diagnose lebensbegrenzend erkrankt zu sein, erhalten haben. Aus diesen Kurzfilmen, soll nun ein Film in voller Länge entstehen. Die Produzenten haben die einmalige Gelegenheit einer Premiere auf dem roten Teppich des World Cancer Congress in Melbourne im Dezember 2014 erhalten und suchen nun nach finanzieller Unterstützung, um den Film rechtzeitig fertigstellen zu können.

Die Kampagne läuft auf der Crowdfunding-Plattform Indiegogo. Die darüber gesammelte Summe wird für die Fertigstellung des Films verwendet - unabhängig davon, ob die angestrebte Summe von 65.000 Dollar erreicht wird. Allerdings wird diese Summe erforderlich sein, um die Arbeiten rechtzeitig zur Premierenfeier beenden zu können.

Ein wunderbares Projekt, das den Kinderhospizgedanken in die Welt trägt und auf die Schicksale und die Hoffnungen von Kindern und Jugendlichen aufmerksam macht, die lebensbegrenzend erkrankt sind.

Zur Crowdfunding-Seite von "Little Stars"
Zur offiziellen Webseite von "Little Stars"

British doctor and international hospice and palliative care pioneer Professor Dr Anne Merriman has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Dr Merriman was the founding vice president of Hospice Africa Uganda and a founding member of the African Palliative Care Association. She also had a significant influence on the development of palliative care in Asia, introducing palliative care in Singapore through the founding of the Hospice Care Association in that city state. She also worked as a missionary doctor in Nigeria, contributing a total of 33 years of service to palliative care development in Africa.

To the whole Article on ehospice.com

Little Stars is a series of films about the surprisingly life-affirming stories of children around the world living with life-shortening illnesses.  Against the odds, these very special kids are making the most of every moment thanks to the support of their families, in harmony with passionate ‘palliative care’ teams.

Paediatric palliative care is a response to the suffering of a child and their family facing life-threatening conditions.  It’s holistic, looking at the body, mind and spirit within the social and cultural context.  It cares for the child from the time of diagnosis until death, and after death it does bereavement support for the family.

These remarkable stories of young people finding peace, love and joy in the face of the inevitable, challenges many pre-conceived notions surrounding the ‘d-word’ and powerfully demonstrates the transformative effect that good-services, well-delivered can have on families facing an unimaginable dilemma.

Life is short, value every moment

To the Website with the Movies

Was für eine Welt – Kinder leiden nicht nur unter der Krankheit, sondern ganz besonders, weil es in Senegal kein Schmerzmittel für sie gibt.

By Angela Chung

When Abdoulaye’s mother left his hospital bedside to pick up medicine from the pharmacy, I helped fan him. Temperatures in Senegal reach the 90s in November, and the air in the ward for children with advanced cancer hung hot and still. Flies buzzed, landing on the faces of patients who were too tired to swat them away.

Abdoulaye, age 4 ½, had a type of cancer that caused tumors to form on his bones, and is extremely painful.

For six months Abdoulaye received no morphine – a standard part of treatment in many parts of the world. When he arrived in the cancer ward, he received a few doses of the painkiller. Then Senegal ran short of morphine.

Because of the pain, Abdoulaye couldn’t speak. His feet and body were swollen from the cancer. He cried constantly, and would shriek whenever anyone lifted him.

My grandfather died of lung cancer, and it was horrible. But you don’t know how much worse it is when you don’t have morphine. You don’t even think about it until you don’t have that pill.

Morphine was still in short supply when Abdoulaye died a month later.   His excruciating pain at the end could have been erased with the mere pennies it would cost for a dose of morphine.

To the whole Text

To a Documentation about Senegal and Pain Relief