Child life specialist role at Nemours gets $1 million, 10-year support
MAHA Commission unveils strategy to fight childhood disease
MAHA Commission released strategies to reshape federal response to childhood chronic illness.
- The Child Cancer Fund has committed $1 million to fund an oncology child life specialist position for 10 years at Nemours Children’s Health.
- Child life specialists help pediatric cancer patients and their families cope with stress through therapeutic play and other diversionary activities.
Nemours Children’s Health in Jacksonville announced a $1 million, 10-year funding commitment for oncology child life services, a staff position that provides “diversionary” activities for children in cancer treatment and helps their families cope.
The commitment came from the Child Cancer Fund, a local nonprofit formed in 1994 to support the cancer child life position when it was slated to be eliminated. The fund now also provides financial assistance and support services to families navigating childhood cancer.
Fully funding the position for the next decade “helps ensure that our patients receive care that addresses their whole health — physically, emotionally and developmentally, said Aaron Carpenter, North Florida president for Nemours Children’s Health. “Partners like the Child Cancer Fund who share our vision are instrumental in our commitment for whole child health.”
The Child Cancer Fund’s ongoing dedication to child life services is in memory of Christy Keirnan, a Nemours patient who died of cancer in 2005 age age 14.
“Our mission has always been to walk alongside families during the most difficult journey of their lives,” said Carla Montgomery, the fund’s executive director. “We cannot over-emphasize the positive impact the child life specialist has on children during cancer treatment.”
Child life specialists are trained to distract children during stressful medical care and treatment and help their families cope. Among other things strategies, they use therapeutic play, pain management, relaxation, deep breathing and guided imagery, a form of visualization that created sensory experiences, according to Nemours.
Cancer care can add another level of stress because of all the needle-sticks, IV pulls, chemotherapy transfusions and other pediatric treatment required. Oncology child life specialists help those patients and their families “cope with the anxiety and fear of procedures,” the hospital said.
Nemours only has child life services for cancer patients.
The support makes children “better able to minimize the stress of treatment, explore their feelings about their diagnosis and process the drastic changes in their lives,” the hospital said.
“Preserving this role was the exact reason why the Child Cancer Fund was established,” Montgomery said. “We have proudly funded the position … and are thrilled to guarantee that the next decade of families will know its transformative effect.”
Nemours current oncology child life specialist is Joli Craver, who has served in the role since its inception 31 years ago and is retiring. The pending vacancy has been posted and the hiring process is underway.
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