by Steven Blanchard, RN

In 2006 California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law a bill known as "The Nick Snow Children's Hospice and Palliative Care Act of 2006". This law was named after Nick Snow, a child hospice patient. Nick died in April 2006.

This landmark legislation allows children in California diagnosed with serious illnesses to receive hospice care, even if the child's parents are pusuing aggresive treatment. Older regulations only provided hospice and palliative care to children whose families had legally given up all chance of recovery. In order to qualify for hospice care, most states require that the child's doctor must state that the child has only six months to live and the child must agree to stop all treatment to try and cure their disease.

It is estimated that 10,000 to 14,000 children in California and their families will benefit yearly from the new legislation. Children in other states are not so fortunate.

It is now time for other states to step up to the plate and follow California's lead. Many thousands of children and their families are denied critical spiritual, emotional, and nursing support because they do not want to give up. This is a crime in a society which spends billions in health care annually.

Some hospice organizations provide care to children without reimbusement so these children and families will not be denied services at this critical juncture in their lives. However; these services are expensive and rely wholly on generous donors.

One such program is located in Jacksonville, Florida. It is part of Community Hospice of Northeast Florida. Community PedsCare has been operating for nearly eight years. During those years many generous people have given of their time and money to ensure the children in Northeast Florida are able to benefit from from the spiritual, psychosocial, and medical care provided by Community PedsCare.

Unlike California; Florida still does not allow children and families seeking curative treatment in subsidized hospice care. The only answer is to place these children into the palliative care program and depend on donations for that care.

You can help the hundreds of children who have been and will be serviced by Community PedsCare by submitting your donation online. No amount is too small.

Simply go to https://www136.ssldomain.com/communityhospice/getinvolved/donate_form.asp
Make sure you select Community PedsCare under "I would like my donation to go specifically toward". If you prefer; you may call ( 90)886-3883 for more information.