Dignity is a subjective social construct made up of beliefs, culture and life-experiences. Therefore, dignity in children is a different experience and has a different interpretation to dignity in adults.
Due to the difference in life experience in children versus adults, dignity is influenced more by a sense of existential distress and leaving behind a sign that they were alive and made a difference to the world.
What really struck me about Footprints 4 Sam after reading these articles was their emphasis on the challenges to dignity that children face. For example, I realised how important it is for children to leave behind a mark, a legacy, a sign that they were here – like in the ‘beautiful memories project’. Another project that I admired by Footprints 4 Sam was the Angel Robe project, which is a dignity-conserving practice, to allow the child to look dignified after death for the family. Lastly, this organisation also emphasised having beautiful areas within a hospital where families can come with their children providing them with a sense of security and a warm environment.
The other video that really struck me was the story of Matteo. The video highlights the aims of a hospice, but from the side of the child and his family. For Matteo, the hospice was a place of safety, where he was surrounded by loved ones, including his foster siblings, guardian and the hospice workers. There was also a sense of normalcy in his life, by integrating normal child activities, such as video games and school into his care plan. Matteo had a good understanding of his disease, which also provides him with the ability to be a part of the decision-making with regards to his own treatment plan.
The introduction to palliative care in paediatrics has opened my eyes to the vast differences in palliative care in adults versus in children. The fundamental difference is that children define dignity differently to how adults define dignity.
