Care of the Child Facing Death

Originally published in 1974, and written by paediatricians, social workers, nurses and a parent who cared for her dying child, this book is concerned with pinpointing the problems which exist for parents and those involved in the care of sick children, both in terms of accepting the facts of a child’s illness, and in loving supporting and giving them maximum enjoyment within the limits of their condition. The fears and anxieties of such children are examined – separation from parents, fear of pain, an increasing sense of difference and in some cases a very real appreciation of their situation. All these limit the child’s happiness, and ways of counteracting them are suggested. Similarly the distress of parents and of medical advisers is discussed.