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    • Lauren O’Brien
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      Post count: 5

      The word “Advocate” stems from the Latin word ‘advocare’ meaning to call to one’s aid. The Greek origin ‘Paraclete’ is a Biblical term for comforter, helper and councellor. Advocacy therefore is directly related to respect and justice, fundamental tenents of Dignity.
      I have seen this word in action recently. A 1 year old child had an Astrocytoma with CSF mets. He was at risk of aspirating and required NGT feeds. In speaking to the boy’s mom it was clear that she understood the gravity of his condition, and all she and her husband wanted was to take their son home. They were managing with his NGT feeds well. Mom was competent in changing the tubing, they had access to his feeds and her husband was arriving that day.
      The child was being managed by a very well-meaning Neurosurgical Registrar, who felt it was better for the child to have a PEG inserted, and wanted to keep the child there to await urine results and treat accordingly. All this made perfect medical sense. However, he never spoke to the parents to find out their wishes for their dying child. My Palliative Care Senior advocated for the child and his parents, and managed to explain why the parents wanted to take their child home and discovered that the urine results were available and antibiotics could be taken orally. Further delay would cause parental distress and frustration. As health care workers in Palliative Care, I believe it is imperative to be fervent advocates for our vulnerable patients.

    • Michelle Pfeiffer
      Participant
      Post count: 5

      Thank you for this post! I related to this post deeply because as a medical practitioner, it’s almost instinct to want to make sure we do what is medically best for our patient prior to sending them home. But we often forget to involve the family and to respect their decisions, and this is not always intended in a malicious manner. But especially in a case like this, parent and patient input should remain the cornerstone approach of our medical treatment. And by doing that, we will always do right by the patient.

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