Physical Health Lesotho Project #25701

Do Just One Thing for Children's Palliative Care

by International Children's Palliative Care Network

Do Just One Thing for Children's Palliative Care

Project Report | Aug 30, 2018
Will you wear a hat on October 12?

By Sue Boucher | Project Leader

Hats On for CPC

The International Children's Palliative Care Network recently hosted a most successful Conference in Durban, South Africa where we welcomed delegates from 43 countries. It was an incredibly rich time of sharing, learing, networking and included some fantastic experiences of a beautiful and diverse country and its people. We are so proud of what this conference achieved and were thrilled to hear the positive feedback from delegates afterwards. One delegate wrote,“Never before have I felt so much at home at a conference. Never before have I been surrounded by so many brilliant, kind, compassionate, unassuming and warm souls all at once. People who refuse to take no for an answer, for whom no wall is too high, no boundary impervious, no child less important than the others. People who insist on looking for the humanity that unites us all.”

Through fundraising and generous donations, ICPCN managed to sponsor or secure sponsorship for the attendance of more than 50 delegates to this conference, many of whom would otherwise not have been able to attend, and we strongly believe that countless children with life threatening illnesses will benefit from their participation. We are extremely proud of all that we achieved through the 3rd ICPCN Conference and believe that children's pallaitive care was strengthened not only in South Africa, but globally as well.

We have been running our 'Just One Thing' fund raising campaign since our 2nd conference in Buenos Aires in 2014 and have had many people doing many things to support our work.

But today we ask you to do just one more thing! On 12 October this year will you to take part in our 'Hats On 4 CPC' campaign by wearing a hat to work or school? There are many wonderful and fun ways that you can participate in this awareness raising campaign. You can read all about them on our website.

We hope that you will participate in #HatsOn4CPC and make a small donation either to ICPCN or a local children's pallaitive care service. With every dollar of support we receive, we promise we will continue to do what we do best to work towards a world in which children with life-threatening and life-limiting conditions do not suffer unnecessarily and are given the physical, social and spiritual support that they deserve.

#HatsOn4CPC

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May 21, 2018
Just One (more) Thing!

By Sue Boucher | Project Leader

Rethabile and her doctor with the snake

Rethabile, a young South African girl undergoing treatment in hospital for a very rare bone cancer, told her doctor she dreamed of going to the zoo. She wanted to see all the animals, but most of all she wanted to see the snakes. Too sick to leave the paediatric ICU, her doctor did what any good palliative care doctor would do. He arranged for a snake to visit Rethabile. After she died, her doctor received a beautiful note from her mother. It read:

"I have no words to thank you. You gave me a lifetime of memories with my child. You turned the worst into the best. I will always cherish the moments we had with 'Ritsi'. You loved her like your daughter, you never gave up on her. She died peacefully, knowing that she was loved. She is now in a better place. Thank you for everything."

Her doctor knew that treating Rethabile's pain and symptoms was only meeting her physical needs. He found a way to meet all her needs and the needs of her family. That is palliative care in a nutshell.

We don't work directly with children at ICPCN so it's not always easy to explain to people how the work we do improves the lives of children like Rethabile. But with your help, it does.

Your money allows us to travel to countries where there is little or no children's palliative care provision and train key health care professionals, like Rethabile's doctor. For example, we recently provided training in CPC to key people in Mozambique. These doctors, nurses, social workers, pastors and therapists touch the lives of thousands of children like Rethibile every year.

You have already donated to us once, so you believe in the work we do.

There are still so many people who don't know of the work of the ICPCN. They have no idea that there are 21 million children in the world who could benefit from pallaitive care services. Please help us reach them.

Will you forward this email to at least one person who you think may be interested in our work and who may consider a once off or monthly donation? If each person who receives this email donated as little as $8 dollars and then forwarded it to another who did the same, and that person forwarded it to another, imagine the difference we could make collectively!

So the Just One (more)Thing we are asking you to do today, is to donate to us and forward this mail to another person. Do it for children like Rethabile and for her mother and for the many, many more who need our help.

Health Care workers in Mozambique trained by ICPCN

Links:

Children's palliative care arrives in Mozambique

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Feb 20, 2018
We know it's hard to think about children who die

By Sue Boucher | Project Leader

Do Just One Thing for Children's Palliative Care

We get it. It's really hard to think about children who die. And nobody wants to think of children dying in distress and in pain. If it is difficult for us to think about, just imagine how hard it is for the millions of children diagnosed with a life shortening illnesses, and for their families.

Most medical professionals go into the practice of medicine wanting to cure diseases and restore their patients to health, particularly those who care for children. Because children should have a long and healthy life to look forward to.

Fortunately, there are those who understand that for some children a shortened life may be inevitible, but there is still a great deal that can be done to ensure that their short lives are as good as possible. That they are not only given the medicines needed to control pain and other distressing symptoms, but that their social and spiritual needs are met, their hopes and fears are acknowledged and addressed and that their familes are supported.

These are the compassionate and dedicated medical prossionals we work with and train. They know that while they may not be able to change the ultimate outcome of the illness in the future, they can affect the child's present. They want to learn about the very best kinds of pain and symptom control in children, about talking to children about what is important to them, what concerns them, as well as addressing the difficult topics that most avoid. And they want to know how best to support the family, both before and after the child dies.

The ICPCN is the only international children's palliative care network providing face to face and free online training for doctors, nurses, social workers, psychologists, pharmacists and all other members of the multidisiciplinary team caring for children with life-limiting and life-threatening illlnesses. Through our courses we have already trained thousands of professionals who are making a difference in children's lives every day.

As I write this, one of our team is in India, where she will be assessing existing children's palliative care services and providing training to people caring for children with palliative care needs. Our Chief Executive has recently returned from Sudan, where she participated in face to face training for doctors and nurses on children's palliative care and our Education Officer has announced that two of our free online courses are now available in Czech, with Hindi and Vietnamese translations in progress. With your help, we won't stop doing what we do until every child needing palliative care can access it!

We have almost raised $1000 towards our $13000 goal! As we head deeper into the new year, would you consider doing 'Just One [more] Thing for Children's Palliative Care' by making another donation to our campaign? We are grateful for every penny and would be delighted if you would consider a small monthly amount. Just $10 allows ICPCN to provide training materials on children’s palliative care for one health professional and $50 would pay for one doctor or nurse to attend a 5 day course on children’s palliative care.

21 million children are counting on us. Can we count on you?

Links:

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