Kali’s Story – Beyond The NICU

“The term palliative care often is perceived by some of my colleagues and some parents as giving up hope or working with the death-and-dying squad. What they may not understand is that clearly using palliative care means that kids actually live longer and better,” Dr Stefan Friedrichsdorf.

Kali’s Story proves that children’s palliative care can actually save lives that would have been otherwise shortened and demonstrates the importance of continuity of care throughout the lifetimes of children living with life-shortening illnesses.

KALI’S STORY

Kali was born prematurely at 23 weeks of gestation. As she was growing in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), her lungs weren’t and despite being ventilated she began gasping for every breath. In their distress, Kali’s parents accepted a referral to Dr Friedrichsdorf’s pain and palliative care team. To their surprise, the interventions of the team not only treated Kali’s pain but also facilitated dramatic improvement to the point where Kali qualified for life-saving lung transplant surgery. Importantly, Kali’s breathlessness and pain was successfully treated with morphine, an essential pain medicine.

“As we’ve grown to know you and your team you’ve provided so much support for her and for us as parents,” Janice Eason, Kali’s mother.

BEYOND THE NICU

Now, seven years later, Kali is developing well and living a relatively normal childhood. She continues to receive specialist palliative care services enabling her to spend as much time at home as possible with the best quality of life.

“We’re thrilled to have that continuation of care for in the NICU to age seven,”Janice Eason, Kali’s mother.

Beyond the NICU featuring Dr Stefan Friedrichsdorf.

Filmed in Minneapolis,USA. Deep thanks to Dr Stefan Friedrichsdorf and Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota.

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