Literature Review

'It’s comfort, dignity and time': Agrace receives CuddleCot donation from JackPack GazetteXtra, Janesville, WI; by Kylie Balk-Yaatenen; 1/4/26 For nearly a decade, a Janesville family has worked to ensure that parents facing the loss of a baby are given something they themselves never had: Time. Through The Jack Pack, a local nonprofit founded after the stillbirth of their son, Jack, in 2015, Jackie Harwick and her husband, Garrick, have donated 14 CuddleCots to hospitals and hospice providers across southern Wisconsin. Their most recent donation went to ... Agrace’s pediatric hospice program. A CuddleCot is a temperature-controlled bassinet insert that slows natural changes after death, allowing families to spend extended time with their baby; ... That time can allow parents to hold their child, invite loved ones to meet the baby, create memories and begin grieving in a more supported way.

MJHS Hospice brings presents to patients and their siblings Spectrum News - NY-1, Manhattan, NY; by Emma Barnett; 12/30/25 Music, presents and sweet memories are defining this holiday season for the Menendez Pacheco family. Thanks to a special visit by MJHS Hospice, Jasmine Menendez’s twin daughters, Kamyl and Alliyah, got a plush blanket and glow-in-the-dark unicorn bedsheets for Christmas. Menendez says it “warms her heart.”

Princess Luz’s final wish Fredericksburg Standard-Radio Post, Fredericksburg, TX; by Tammy Rohlf; 12/24/25Luzmaria Salazar, known to those who loved her as “Princess Luz,” was just 17 years old, but her courage and faith measured far beyond her years. After bravely battling a rare genetic disease that affected her nervous and immune systems, she passed away in June of 2025. One of her last wishes was simple, yet, seemed impossible: She wanted to swim with dolphins. Her mom, Jessica Gurrola, tried to make that dream happen with a trip to SeaWorld, but the experience fell short. That’s when the hospice team stepped in. With the help of a hospice volunteer and virtual reality technology, Luz’s dream came true in a way no one expected. When the headset was placed on her, something extraordinary happened. Her entire body calmed. ... 

Seven-figure estate gift bolsters hospice care: Madeline Childs' generous bequest honors her late husband Hometown News, Rockledge, FL; Press Release; 12/7/25 The Health First Foundation is honored to announce a transformational seven-figure planned gift from the late Madeline Childs to support the William Childs Hospice House in Palm Bay and Hospice of Health First’s inpatient hospice programs. Madeline’s final act of generosity reflects a commitment that began more than two decades ago. In 2002, her husband, Bill, received hospice care during his final days. The experience was brief, but it left a lasting imprint on her. Out of that moment of personal loss, Madeline chose to give back by establishing an irrevocable estate gift that would ultimately lead to the naming of the William Childs Hospice House in Bill’s memory.

[United Kingdom] Children's hospice to shut days before Christmas BBC News, London, England; by Amy Clarke; 12/12/25 A children's hospice that has supported children living with complex life-limiting conditions for 25 years is due to close just days before Christmas. Richard House in Newham, east London, provides specialist care to more than 300 families - offering services such as residential care, transition from hospital to home, bereavement support and end-of-life care. 

Adolescents' and young adults' perspectives on decision-making and the emotional experience of having advanced cancerJournal of Pain and Symptom Management; by Nelda Itzep, Jessica Moore, Colleen Gallagher, Michael Roth, Peyton Martin, Mike Hernandez, Karen M Moody; 12/25Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with advanced cancer represent a unique and vulnerable population. Little is known about the optimal approach to support their medical decision-making needs... Most participants reported acceptance and peace with their illness, yet many struggled with changes in physical appearance, the unfairness of getting cancer, and angry feelings related to their illness. Participants also reported high levels of therapeutic alliance with their doctors. These AYAs reported remaining hopeful and future oriented despite their prognosis. They also reported a strong belief that AYAs should be involved in decision-making.

Pediatric imminent death donation: Is it ethical?Journal of Pain and Symptom Management; by Gabriel Chain, Laura Pucillo, Mindy Dickerman, Richard James, Stephen Dunn, Elissa G Miller; 12/25Imminent death donation (IDD) is a form of organ donation that would occur just prior to the withdrawal of life-sustaining technology (WOLST). While IDD may offer a valuable opportunity for organ donation, for example when donation after circulatory death (DCD) is not feasible, it raises significant ethical concerns, particularly in pediatric cases... Clinicians from critical care, transplant surgery, palliative care and our hospital ethics committee offer differing views on how to address [a complex case].

Hospice El Paso pediatric patient to spread joy with Toy Drive for local children ABC KIVA-7, El Paso, TX; by Armando Ramirez; 12/1/25 7-year-old Kenia Marisol Huerta Medina, a participant of Hospice El Paso's Butterfly Program, has a wish to help others this holiday season. According to Hospice El Paso, Kenia is battling diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, a cancer that affects the central nervous system to include the brain and spinal cord. As apart of her holiday wish, Kenia is asking for Christmas toys and other gifts for undeserved children in the El Paso region.

5.2 consultation-Liaison perspectivesJournal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry; by Julia A. Kearney;10/25Parents suffer loss and anticipatory grief, struggle with complex medical decision-making, and bear the primary burden of talking to their children about illness, death, and loss. Clinical intervention can: 1) improve communication around child prognosis and medical decision-making; 2) support parents in having open conversations with their children; and 3) directly assess and address parent mental health. Parents and caregivers appreciate resources to address their mental health in pediatric settings, need expertise from clinicians experienced in pediatric illness and palliative care, and need programs to overcome barriers such as parents’ unwillingness or inability to leave their child and the unpredictability of the child’s illness. While nothing can eliminate the suffering and grief of families facing a child’s terminal illness, clinicians can increase hope by helping enhance meaning, connection, trust, and love while reducing guilt and regret.  

Community puts together Christmas parade for 6-year-old in hospice care NBC WSAV-3, Savannah, GA; by Ava Cartes; 11/16/25 A Savannah community came together Saturday evening at a rally behind a little girl and her family. A six-year-old girl from the Willow Point neighborhood in Savannah recently entered hospice care, and after learning the news, her community came out to celebrate Christmas—her favorite holiday. Neighbors organized a display of Christmas lights and even a parade to show their support for the family.

The Valerie Fund pledges $3.5 million to establish new pediatric pain and palliative care program at Hackensack Meridian Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital News Wise, Hackensack, NJ; by Hackensack Meridian Health; 11/3/25 Hackensack Meridian Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital today announced a transformative, 5-year, $3.5 million commitment from The Valerie Fund to significantly expand its Pediatric Pain and Palliative Care Program. The landmark donation will establish The Valerie Fund Pediatric Pain and Palliative Care Program at the Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital, located at Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack, NJ, ... This new partnership will allow the hospital to care for more people annually, growing from approximately 1,750 to 3,500 patient visits. 

Clinician and parent perspectives on essential psychosocial care in pediatric cancerJAMA Pediatrics; by Kimberly S. Canter, Anne E. Kazak, Natalie Koskela-Staples, Michele A. Scialla, Kimberly Buff, Emily Pariseau, Victoria A. Sardi-Brown, Julia B. Tager, Lori Wiener; 10/25The Standards for Psychosocial Care for Children With Cancer and Their Families provide guidelines for evidence-based psychosocial care for children with cancer and their families. The Implementing the Standards Together: Engaging Parents and Providers in Psychosocial Care (iSTEPPP) study extends the standards through innovative collaborative research between clinicians and patient and family advocates, with the goal of widespread clinical implementation of standards that clinicians and parents or caregivers agree to be priorities. The 3 standards prioritized by parents and clinicians in this study offer insight into shared priorities for psychosocial care in pediatric cancer. However, misalignment on other priority standards (parental mental health, palliative care, and neurocognitive monitoring) highlights the differences in perception between parents and clinicians. Areas lacking agreement are a stark reminder of potential challenges when working to meet the holistic needs of children with chronic diseases and their families, as clinicians and parents may not agree on which needs are most important.