Palliative Care Australia

Guest Blog by Liz Callaghan – CEO Palliative Care Australia

The Little Stars project shows children all over the world at their most vulnerable. Regardless of where they are, the thing that shines through in these films is the unconditional love children give and receive.

The films are not overly emotional in portrayal. They highlight the incredible strength of families and the way they turn adversity into a richly rewarding experience.

They also show by documenting the level of palliative care services in other parts of the world how lucky we in Australia are. While there may never be sufficient resources to cater fully for the burden that sick children, their families and carers bear, we are lucky to have a service system that responds to their needs more often than not.

Talking to those involved in paediatric palliative care reveals the depth of commitment, the unwavering passion that a comparative few dedicate to young people from all walks of life, in all parts of our huge country.

Paediatric palliative care teams and paediatric hospices are the visible proof of that commitment, but there are many others whose work goes largely unheralded in rural and remote Australia. The astonishing thing is the massive areas so many paediatric practitioner teams cover with only a few people. Readily available figures show there are many more Australians – adults and children – who would benefit from access to palliative care. It is the role of organisations such as Palliative Care Australia to highlight these issues to government, and a project such as Little Stars goes some way in doing this.

The Little Stars films should be compulsory viewing for all involved in health services. Children are our future and they deserve the best care – in health and in sickness.