Supporting Pediatric Palliative Care at Johns Hopkins Children's Center


Pediatric Palliative Care | The Gift of Life

At Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, our specialized team of pediatric palliative care nurses, physicians, fellows, chaplains and Child Life specialists deliver unapparelled support to families in their time of need. As the only hospital with a pediatric palliative care team in the state of Maryland, our unique program helps families make critical decisions throughout their care journey.

Make a Gift

Children’s serious illnesses have a profound impact on their families and on the health care professionals who serve them, regardless of the child’s outcome — recovery, remission, chronic illness or death. The prospect of a child’s death is so uncomfortable that our society has long avoided the subject. Consequently, pediatric palliative care and perinatal palliative care have been slow to develop as a field, remains largely unreimbursed by insurers and is otherwise difficult to fund.

Though most pediatric specialties focus exclusively on the child’s medical condition, pediatric palliative care recognizes that everyone in the family is affected when one member is ill. Pediatric palliative care addresses the needs of the child and extended family, aiming to prevent and alleviate suffering.

Philanthropy is needed to fund and sustain the critical components of this program including:

  • Staffing the pediatric palliative care program: 100% of the salaries of our perinatal palliative care chaplain, palliative Child Life specialist and palliative care fellows are funded through philanthropy
  • Expanding pediatric palliative care services to the outpatient and in-home settings to ensure families have the resources needed to stay out of the hospital
  • Providing palliative care education and training for pediatric residents, fellows, chaplains and medical students to grow the field of palliative medicine
  • Providing bereavement materials for loved ones, including memory boxes, photography and other bereavement supports when a family is experiencing a loss
  • Long-term patient family support, such as meals, parking and peer-to-peer parent programing

Our pediatric palliative care team is committed to creating innovative solutions around a variety of challenges. The philanthropy we receive determines what we achieve, so thank you for giving to pediatric palliative care.

Donate to Palliative Care

Other Ways to Support Pediatric Palliative Care

Kendall Burrows Foundation

The Kendall Burrows Foundation (KBF) has supported the pediatric palliative care program since 2015. In honor of their daughter, Kendall, the Burrow Family has raised over half a million dollars to support the pediatric palliative care program. Every year, KBF hosts a gala to raise these crucial funds.

Visit the KBF website to learn more or get involved.

Miracles In Motion: Run for Pediatric Palliative Care

Johns Hopkins Children’s Center’s annual 5K run/walk will take place September 21, 2024. The pediatric palliative care program benefits from funds raised by participants and donors like you. When you register, select “Pediatric Palliative Care” to designate your support to our program. We also invite you to register under our pediatric palliative care team, so we can unite together on race day. 

Visit the event site to learn more about the race and register.