Pediatric Palliative Care

The pediatric palliative care team helps children who have complex, serious, or long-term health problems manage their symptoms and improve their quality of life, no matter what their medical challenges may be.

Palliative care can ease pain and suffering for children during any stage of illness. It is not only for terminal illnesses or end-of-life care. Palliative care can help any child going through a difficult or uncertain period of disease, disability, or treatment.

Our team supports children and families by organizing medical care, supporting tough decisions, and bringing together different experts to make sure each child’s physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs are met.

Collaborative expertise

Our physicians, nurse practitioners, a nurse, and a social worker work together to address your child’s unique needs and support your family through complex medical decisions. We are the only physician-led pediatric palliative care program in West Michigan, a member of the Children's Palliative Coalition of Michigan, and partner with Hospice of Michigan’s pediatric programs.

Whole-child approach

Our program focuses on improving your child’s quality of life by addressing physical, psychological, and emotional suffering and coordinating input from multiple specialties to guide care planning. We dedicate significant time to reducing barriers to care and ensuring your family’s wishes, concerns, and needs are understood and respected.

We do not treat any specific diseases. However, we may be part of your child’s care team if they have a health condition that is difficult to treat and has life-altering physical, mental, or emotional symptoms. Common examples include:

• Cancer
• Congenital heart disease
• Genetic disorders
• Life-threatening diseases
• Lung disease
• Neurological disorders (conditions that impair brain, nerve, or motor function)
• Progressive or degenerative disorders (chronic conditions that are expected to gradually worsen over time)

Assisting with medical decisions

Complex illnesses often require families to make difficult choices about which forms of treatment, if any, to choose. We gather all the recommendations from your child’s medical team so we can help your family understand your options and make decisions that align with your values and priorities.

Comprehensive care for pain relief and quality of life

We help your child get the care and support they need to improve their quality of life —whether that means physical pain relief, emotional or behavioral counseling, physical or occupational therapy, spiritual support, social support services, educational resources, or more.

Coordinating care

We serve as a link between you and your child’s medical team, which may include a wide variety of specialists. This helps ensure you and your child’s wishes are respected and your child gets the care they need, when they need it.