Dying Children and the Kindness of Strangers

This chapter examines kindness to strangers as a modern way of death for terminally ill children, whereby the latter are moved out of their own community and into the strange world of the tertiary-care medical center. Drawing on fiction, poetry, film, and memoir, it discusses the implications of the kindness-to-strangers approach and what the experience is like for the parents and families. It also looks at the tension between despair and hope as a central problem for physicians and parents who care for dying children, as well as the emotions felt by the parents—denial, profound grief, uncertainty, and isolation. In addition, the author considers how medical centers have tried to address the unique challenges that come with caring for dying children. Finally, it reviews some studies of pediatric palliative care offered by children’s hospitals.