Dr. Simon Parke, a consultant paeditrician, talks about the positive effect he's seen wishes have on his young patients.
Dr. Parke has worked with many children facing life-threatening conditions, and provides day-to-day care as they go through their treatment. He's seen the impact wishes have - and gives his expert, medical opinion on why they're so important.
The Need
Dr. Parke explains how life-threatening conditions cut children off from normal activities, leaving them isolated and lonely. He talks about the unpleasant treatment children must go through, meaning they miss out of precious moments in their childhood that other healthy children get to experience.
Dr. Parke has seen first-hand the huge negative impact a diagnosis with a life-threatening condition has on a child and their family, saying:
The world can seem like a very dark, very black place for the child and their family.
How wishes help
Wishes helping during treatment...
Dr Simon Parke said: "In my experience children who go through the treatment with positivity, with things to look forward to, with things to make the experience more tolerable for them, seem to cope with their treatment better seem to spend less time in hospital."