Publication
When Children Repeatedly Defy the Odds
Porter A, Halix S, Kaye E · Journal of Palliative Medicine · 2025
"Marcoa is an 11-year-old boy with an invasive neck tumor. Since his diagnosis four years ago, he has undergone five high-risk resections to maintain his airway, most recently with placement of a tracheostomy. He has been hospitalized repeatedly in the intensive care unit (ICU) for ventilator support. Although he gradually recovers, his baseline function worsens after each hospitalization. He receives all nutrition through a feeding tube and spends most of his days entirely in bed, listening to audiobooks or watching YouTube videos. Every time his tumor grows, the medical team tells his parents that there is “nothing else to do” and “this is it,” and yet he survives resection after resection. When Marco’s tumor begins to compress his airway again following tracheostomy placement, his parents ask the medical team to perform another surgical resection to “save his life.”"
Synced from the TRENDS in Pediatric Palliative Care Zotero library, curated by The Siden Research Team. ICPCN does not host or verify the full text.