Helping others make the most of life

A holistic way to care

During the forum, Dr Lee Ai Chong from Malaysia emphasized that palliative care is not only meant for those with terminal illnesses. Rather, such care begins "when the illness is diagnosed, and continues regardless of whether or not a child receives treatment directed at the disease."

Chong also quoted the epitaph of American physician Edward Trudeau to explain the crux about palliative care, saying that it is "to cure sometimes; to relieve often; to comfort always."

According to Gould, palliative care for adults in Britain started in the 1970s but such care for children only emerged decades later in the 1990s. She attributed this to the flawed belief that children didn't feel pain and that suffering would only make them stronger.

"But children can't speak for themselves. They can't say 'my head hurts' or 'my belly hurts'. As the parent or nurse, you need to pay attention to their behavior and be the voice of the child," said Gould.

There are now 45 children's hospices in the UK, mostly supported by the government and charity organizations. Most of the hospices have outreach services in the communities so many children are cared for in their own homes by qualified nurses who have the necessary equipment.