Life, Love and Loss The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne

The death of a child is a profoundly devastating experience for every family. Families live with intense grief, many varied challenges, and a rollercoaster of often unpredictable emotions. Family’s experience and process grief in very individual ways. The loss of a child has lifelong impacts on all family members, together and individually as they piece together a new life without the physical presence of their child. In this episode we hear from parents who share their family’s grief experience following the death of their child only one year ago. They will discuss the challenges they have faced, the ways they continue to honour and remember their child and how they continue to live in the wake of such tragedy.

The death of an infant before or after birth is a profoundly sad experience with many layers of grief and loss for every family. New parents are forced to confront the death of their baby and the loss of their hopes, dreams, and expectations for the future life of their child and family. Parents may experience challenges to their own identity and how they are treated by their family, friends, and community. We hear from families discussing their experience of perinatal loss and the tragedy of the death of their baby.

Adolescents and young adults are a unique population, with distinctive developmental needs and challenges. Adolescence is a time of emerging autonomy, fledgling independence, development of self-identity and connection with peers. Adolescents with life limiting conditions are confronted with considering their own mortality and face complex developmental and spiritual contradictions. Adolescents require an opportunity to be involved in their care decisions, address unfinished business, voice their own wishes, have their hopes acknowledged and live full lives. In this episode we hear from parents of young people who have died from a life-limiting illness. These parents reflect on the experiences of their adolescents who endured the complexities of their terminal illness.

Aspects of hope and spirituality in paediatric palliative care (PPC) are unique to every child and family, and closely attuned to a family’s beliefs, attitudes, values, and culture. Caring for a child and family’s spirit should be seen as a vital component of holistic PPC, along with the physical, psychological and social components of care. The role of spiritual care takes on greater importance as a child approaches the end of their life. While some children and families feel conflicted about hope and spirituality, many seek opportunities to find meaning, purpose, and fulfilment in their lives. In recalling their experiences of caring for their children, two families consider what hope and spirituality mean to them, and how their views may change over time.

The death of a child goes against the natural order of life events. For many families, planning their child’s funeral can be a daunting, overwhelming, and highly emotional time. Some families like to plan, while others are unable to discuss the impending death of their child until after it occurs. Some families may have specific requirements, cultural and religious tradition or rituals that are important and help to bring comfort. Some children like to be included in the planning of their own funeral. This episode explores two families' experience of taking on the unimaginable task of planning their child’s funeral. They also discuss the ways they continue to remember and honour their child’s memory in death, and how rituals support their continued connection with their child.

The death of a child is a profoundly devastating experience for every family. It has lifelong impacts on all family members, together and individually, as they piece together a new life without the physical presence of their child. Families experience and process intense grief in very individual ways, facing varied challenges and a rollercoaster of often unpredictable emotions. In this episode a family shares their experience of grief and loss following the death of their child and sibling ten years ago. They explore the ways they have adjusted over time and how they continue to honour and remember their loved one.