Stories from a home for terminally ill children

Sheri Brisson, a much respected colleague, has co-authored a very interactive journal for young people who are confronting health challenges and disabilities. The expressive writing process both engages and empowers the young users of this colorful, art-filled journal, which has been a valuable resource for our George Mark patients.

Shelter from the Storm is a sensitively written book that makes an enormous contribution in supporting parents facing the incredibly difficult job of caring for children with life-threatening illnesses. With its gentle tone and clear language, this book is one that I recommend to the parents of our patients.

Barbara Sourkes, a lovely friend and a pioneer in the field of pediatric palliative care, has co-authored this comprehensive text to demonstrate how collaborative, interdisciplinary care benefits both patients and their families. Our model of care at George Mark Children’s House uses this type of integrated approach to address the physical, psychological, social and spiritual needs of our young patients and their families. In the thirteen years that we have been in operation, hundreds of families have benefitted from the loving care of our interdisciplinary team.

This very comprehensive text is broad in its scope of covering new practices and evolving models that support the provision of palliative medicine for children. It addresses both the clinical aspects and the holistic nature of caring for children at the end of their lives. With nineteen other facilities in the process of development, based on the George Mark model, this book is a valuable resource for new organizations.