ABSTRACT
Many individuals struggle with the reality that death is not just for the elderly or sick but that children also die. The death of a child can be completely inconceivable, unnatural, and the tremendous loss of human potential. A child's death is far reaching, enduring, and one of the most painful losses that a parent or sibling will ever experience. Pediatric palliative care is an approach to the art and science of child-focused, family-oriented, and relationship-centered care aimed at enhancing quality of life and attending to suffering. Thus, there is an imperative of care throughout the continuum of a life-limiting illness, whether the child begins the dying process or transitions to end-of-life (EOL). When given the choice, children and their parents tend to prefer to have as much care, including EOL care, in the home. EOL care is multifaceted within the context of the child's physical, emotional, and spiritual development, yet dying children are seldom asked directly about their experiences.
