What is Palliative Care?

Palliative Care provides support to children with life-limiting conditions and their families by identifying goals of care, coordinating care, managing symptoms, and maximizing quality of life. The Palliative Care program helps advocate for the child and family’s goals and ensures support is provided to the whole family. Donate now to support Palliative Care, or join these Palliative Care sponsors to make an impact on improving the lives of young children with life-limiting conditions.

In Video: Learn More About Palliative Care

Your generosity ensures that our patients have access to services, many of which are funded entirely through donations, that help children heal emotionally. Meet a few of the care providers and patient family members from the Palliative Care program at Phoenix Children’s Hospital:

Learn more about Palliative Care from Tressia Shaw, MD, the Program Director for Palliative Care at Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

Claudia and Jesus discuss how the Palliative Care program at Phoenix Children’s Hospital has helped them and their daughter, Aileb.

Learn more about Bereavement Services from Amanda Sahli, the Bereavement Coordinator for the PCH Palliative Care program.

The Impact

Donors ensure that we can continue to provide Palliative Care for all children and families who need it. Since the program’s inception in 2009, nearly 1,000 children and families have benefited from Palliative Care.

What Does The Palliative Care Program Provide to Help Kids Live Well?

  • Consultation and care by in interdisciplinary team including social work, physician, and child life support. This results in reduced symptoms, higher family satisfaction with overall care, and greater emotional support.
  • A team that can care for a child and family across care locations including hospital, outpatient, and home
  • Comprehensive pain and symptom management, which results in improved quality of life
  • When needed, end-of-life care which includes support for decision making, advance care planning, and comfort care
  • When needed, bereavement support for up to 2 years
  • Home support through our social work team and community partners

Sponsor Palliative Care

Since the program’s inception in 2009, nearly 1,000 children and families have benefited from Palliative Care, with hundreds more supported each year. We see patients with all types of diagnoses including cancer, heart disease, neurologic diseases, premature infants, children with genetic conditions and more. The interdisciplinary and psychosocial support provided by this team is not currently reimbursed by insurance and so our program relies on philanthropic funding for these essential services.

Sponsorship Opportunities

Current sponsorship needs for the Palliative Care program, including bereavement-related services, are below. Make a gift now to become a sponsor of the Palliative Care program.

Psychosocial Support ($155,000)

Sponsor pyschosocial support for a family for $510, or contact us to sponsor this entire program for one year for $155,000.

A life threatening or life limiting diagnosis affects multiple aspects of a child and family’s life. The Palliative Care team provides support not just for the medical aspect of care, but also for the emotional support that is needed. Psychosocial support includes social workers who specialize in helping families with resource identification, emotional support and processing a new diagnosis or change in medical condition, and sibling support. A nurse coordinator helps with transitions in care, supporting the care plan, and ensuring that the child’s quality of life is maximized and supported. The goal of our psychosocial team is to meet a child and family where they are in their journey and walk alongside them for support.

Bereavement Program ($100,000)

Provide bereavement services to a family for $500, or contact us to sponsor this entire program for one year.

The death of a child is an unfathomable loss and it is our mission to continue to support PCH families and provide healing in the next step of their journey. The bereavement program provides support to families for up to 2 years following the death of their child. This program includes: contact with a bereavement coordinator through calls or meetings, 2 years of grief support materials through mailings, access to support groups, and a legacy gift.

Comfort Carts ($17,162)

Sponsor a cart for one family for $86, or support all comfort carts for one year. Sponsor now.

Comfort carts provide materials for families at the bedside of a dying child. These items of comfort allow families not to leave the bedside at this critical time and include memory making materials, food, beverages, blankets, reading and grief support materials, and personal care items.

Memory Boxes ($7,000)

Provide a memory box for one family for $35, or support all memory boxes for one year. Sponsor now.

These beautiful boxes are provided to families who have experienced the loss of a child. Hand prints, locks of hair and other memory items can be placed inside the boxes for safe keeping.

Legacy Gifts ($6,086)

Donate $30 to support a family, or sponsor legacy gifts for all patient families requiring bereavement services for $6,086. Sponsor now.

Every family who experiences the death of their child a PCH receives a crystal heart engraved with the child’s name, date of birth and death.

Follow-Up — Complete Folders

A generous donation of $2,220 will cover the cost of this service for one year; a gift of $110 will support ten families.

Folders include a condolence card signed by hospital staff who cared for the child, basic information regarding the grief process, as well as additional resources for siblings as appropriate. Sponsor now.

Quarterly Mailings ($2,132)

Donate $60 to support ten families, or sponsor this need for all patient families requiring bereavement services for $2,132. Sponsor now.

Each family who experiences the death of a child at PCH receives grief and bereavement support materials by mail every 3 months. These materials provide valuable support resources for families and let them know their care team at PCH is still supporting them.

Birthday and Anniversary Cards ($936)

Donate $50 to support ten families, or sponsor this need for all patient families requiring bereavement services for $936. Cards are mailed for a child’s birthday and the anniversary of the loss. Sponsor now.

Model Magic ($600)

For $600 you can support this need for all Palliative Care program patient families for an entire year.

Model magic is used to create hand and/or foot molds of the child. This provides families with a meaningful memory as they often help staff prepare the molds. Sponsor now.

Inkless Wipes and Plain Ink Paper ($404)

For $404 you can provide these wipes and paper needs to all Palliative Care program patient families for one year.

These are used to create hand and/or foot prints for the family. It gives the family another meaningful opportunity to create a memory and have something from their child. Sponsor now.

Lock of Hair Bags ($14)

Make a gift of $14 to support this need for all Palliative Care program patient families for an entire year.

These small bags are used to hold a lock of hair from the child. This is another tangible way for families to memorialize their child. Sponsor now.

Legacy Gifts ($6,086)

Donate $30 to support a family, or sponsor legacy gifts for all patient families requiring bereavement services for $6,086. Sponsor now.

Every family who experiences the death of their child a PCH receives a crystal heart engraved with the child’s name, date of birth and death..

Sponsors

Sponsors ensure that we can continue to provide Palliative Care for all children and families who need it, and we’re grateful for their support. Special thanks to:

Palliative Care Contact Form

For more information about sponsoring Palliative Care, complete the form below, and we’ll have someone contact you shortly.

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