Anything for My Child: Making Impossible Decisions for Medically Complex Children

Every parent wants the same thing: for their child to enjoy a long and fulfilling life. But what happens when things don't go according to plan? What happens when parents have to become advocates for their child's healthcare needs? Who decides what is in a child's 'best interests'? Stephanie Nimmo faced these questions first-hand when her daughter, Daisy, was diagnosed with a life-limiting condition as a baby. Seen through the lens of Stephanie's own experiences, this sensitive book delves into the complex world of medical ethics and paediatric palliative care. From recognising tipping points to the importance of building relationships with palliative care teams well before crisis, this book explores how medical professionals can better support families throughout their child's care. Interviews with clinicians and snapshots from the lives of patients' families provide insight into the realities of life on both sides of the hospital bed. Compassionate explanations of the conflicting pressures in the hospital system foster understanding and help medical professionals and families work together.

About the Author :
Stephanie is a Communications Professional and Writer. She draws from her own lived experience of the loss of her child together with a professional interest in the fields of palliative care and medical bioethics to bring a perspective "from the other side of the hospital bed". She is regularly invited to speak at high profile events including the RCPCH Annual Conference and the Great Ormond Street Bioethics Conference. She is regularly approached for comment by major media outlets as an expert on conflict prevention in paediatric care, bereavement and end of life care.

Review :
From hospital to home, hospice and the courts, Anything For My Child transports the reader into the lives of families touched by the devastation of a terminal diagnosis. Essential reading, whether for professional or personal interest. There is so much here, so much that will help give other parents a strong sense that they are not alone and ideas about how to find their way through the maze (or obstacle course, or whatever the most appropriate metaphor is). There is also a huge amount for professionals - to give them a better understanding of what parents are going through - what they can do to help them, and some things that they should try to avoid. It is hard (probably impossible) for us to imagine what parents are going through - but there will be many, like myself, who will find that job significantly easier having read your book, who will return to their work (once they have dried their eyes) with new ideas for how to be kind, how to empathise, how to help. The stories of all the people you have spoken to in the last year, all the families, and of course Daisy's stories, are the heart of the book. They speak volumes - bringing the children to life (and back to life). It is beautiful, moving and powerful. Stephanie Nimmo has written a truly phenomenal book. Anything for My Child is both a lighthouse for any parent caring for a seriously ill child as well as an instruction manual for any healthcare worker who cares for sick children and their families. Steph Nimmo takes us on a journey few parents can ever be prepared for and helps us to understand, with clarity and compassion, why "doing anything" for a much-loved child might also mean letting them go.