Having a very sick child is stressful on so many levels. I have watched friends go through this with their little ones. What a helpless feeling … full of fear … wanting to do anything and everything so that your child gets better.

Add to that the strain of having to make decisions for your child’s care and it all becomes a pressure cooker for conflict.

Here is how one parent described it:

“It’s horrific to sit and watch your child deteriorating and you feel like you are in prison and no one is listening to you and there is nothing worse.”

Her child, Isidora, has Rett Syndrome, which leaves her unable to walk and talk. In 2011, Isi, age 12, was admitted to the hospital with gastrointestinal issues. Her condition escalated and communication between her family and doctors deteriorated. A consulting pediatrician decided to contact a mediator to help with the conflict. Now that’s one smart doctor.

At first, Isi’s parents were uncertain about mediation but in the end, they became supporters.  Why?

Here are Isi’s mom’s description about what mediation did for them:

“We felt that we had somebody who we could talk to who was not judgmental, who we knew would relay information accurately and when we had meetings together with the mediator and medical staff involved, it was a lot easier, there was a lot less tension in the room and if things did get heated there was someone there to cool things down.”

With so much at stake, Isi’s parents felt that mediation helped to give them a voice. How awesome is that.

And now, they are campaigning to have mediation offered to all families when it’s needed.  And medical professionals are being trained to recognize breakdowns in communication between families and health care professionals over what is in the best interest of the child.

Now … this all happened in England.  How about implementing something similar in the U.S.??

Jeanette