We are pleased to raise awareness of the excellent work done by the Starship Children’s hospital. Recently we made a meaningful contribution towards the costs of a Palliative Care Fellowship position.

The term "palliative care" is used to describe the care and support that is provided to people who have a life-limiting or life-threatening illness.

  • Life-limiting conditions are those for which there are no possible curative therapies and from which children or young people will die. Some of these conditions can cause children to deteriorate over time, making them increasingly dependent on parents and carers.
  • Life-threatening conditions are those for which curative treatment may be possible but may fail, such as children with cancer. This does not include children who have had successful curative treatment or are in long-term remission.

In the case of children, palliative care involves:

  • ensuring the child is comfortable and in the best possible condition so that they can go about doing things that are important and fun (such as going to school or kindergarten)
  • helping families with difficult decisions
  • supporting parents
  • helping parents to support their child around any worries or questions they might have
  • helping parents support the brothers and sisters of the sick child
  • providing practical help with equipment, medications and respite care
  • ensuring families are able to access support in bereavement.

This is just one of the many valuable services that Starship provides. We encourage others to visit Starships website and make a contribution : Foundation Every bit helps!