SUNFLOWER – 2024 Q3
We are pleased to share this autumn update for the Sunflower Children's Network with you. There's lots of news and some links to our series Through a nurse's lens on TheSunflower – Palliative Care Podcast. And the latest features on eHospice highlighting our initiatives and partnerships.
If you haven't, please join us us on Two World Cancer Collaboration's social media. Every follow, like and share helps amplify what we do and raises awareness of the need for equitable and accessible health and palliative care.
Our Vision
The Sunflower Children's Network is dedicated to improving access to palliative care for children with cancer and other serious illnesses across South and Southeast Asia. Our mission is to expand our reach to key healthcare centres in the region, ensuring that every child and their family receive the highest care possible to enhance their quality of life.
Pediatric Palliative Care Fellowship Program
Fellowship 2024
The 2024 Fellowship program is progressing well, with regular teaching and mentorship sessions. The Fellows are participating in clinical rotations in Hyderabad, a major milestone in their training. The program continues to nurture skilled pediatricians dedicated to advancing pediatric palliative care in the region.
Fellowship 2025
We will the welcome five physicians in the 2025 cohort: Dr. Nguyen Thi Anh Thu – Children's Hospital No.2, Vietnam; Dr. Nusrat Jahan – Rangpur Medical College, Bangladesh; Dr. Rateena Rajbhandari – Patan Academy of Health Sciences, Nepal; Dr. Manjusha Nair – Regional Cancer Centre Trivandrum, India; and Dr. Tashi Choden – Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital, Bhutan.
The Fellows will undergo comprehensive training to further enhance their clinical and leadership skills, with the goal of increasing access to children’s palliative care in their countries.
Children’s Palliative Care Leadership Program
The Children’s Palliative Care Leadership Program is designed to empower future healthcare leaders in nursing, medicine, and allied health with essential skills to advance children's palliative care. Led by the Sunflower Children’s Network, this initiative involves collaboration with the Pain Relief and Palliative Care Society (India), St. Jude Global Palliative Care (USA), Canuck Place Children's Hospice (Canada), Cipla Foundation (India), Stanford University (USA), and the International Children’s Palliative Care Network (ICPCN).
This year-long program continues to support 19 participants from six countries in South and Southeast Asia, guiding them as they develop and implement projects to improve pediatric palliative care in their regions. Several key projects have already been launched, showcasing the program’s significant role in developing leadership and fostering innovation in pediatric palliative care.
A recent episode of the The Sunflower – Palliative Care Podcast features the program.
Notable Projects
Initiating Pediatric Palliative Care in Tertiary Care Hospitals: Dr. Latha M.S., a leadership program participant, is working to establish pediatric palliative care services within the oncology department at SRI Ramachandra Medical College, in Chennai, India. A recent National Pediatric Palliative Care Conference hosted in collaboration with Golden Butterflies saw 160 participants, with hospital administrators expressing strong support for expanding palliative care services.
Hopeful Hearts Pediatric Palliative Care Training and Team Building: Dr. Thushari D. Hapuarachchi and her team led a successful pediatric palliative care workshop at the National Cancer Institute, Sri Lanka attended by 85 healthcare professionals. This event enhanced awareness and collaboration among participants, emphasizing the importance of integrating palliative care into routine healthcare for children with life-limiting illnesses.
Neurological Life-Limiting Illness Camp: Dr. PG Hariprasad and his team organized a multidisciplinary camp for children with neurological conditions at Sree Avittom Thirunal Hospital in Trivandrum, India. The camp brought together a neurologist, orthopedic consultant, pediatrician, physiotherapist, psychologist, and others to focus on rehabilitation – a crucial aspect of care that should be promoted alongside pediatric palliative care.
Bangladesh- Online Mentoring Session
With support from a Global Health Grant from the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto, Canada, a team of clinicians from Bangladesh and Canada completed a six-week online course designed to improve the knowledge and skills of healthcare professionals in delivering children’s palliative care in Bangladesh.
Following the course, a 12-month series of interactive monthly mentoring sessions have begun, which will support implementation of new clinical skills into practice. The mentoring sessions feature case presentations and discussions, and expert teaching led by faculty from India, Canada, and Bangladesh. Over 60 healthcare professionals from major health facilities in Khulna, Rangpur, and Sylhet are actively participating in the program.
Children's Palliative Care Champions Course
In collaboration with the Hyderabad Centre for Palliative Care, PallCHASE (Palliative Care in Humanitarian Aid Situations and Emergencies) and the International Children’s Palliative Care Network (ICPCN), TWCC launched the Children’s Palliative Care Champions Course.
This virtual ECHO program equips healthcare workers with the skills to deliver children’s palliative care in humanitarian emergency situations. The course featured six weekly sessions with video lectures, presentations, and case discussions. With faculty from the UK, Canada, Kuwait, and the USA, 39 healthcare professionals actively participated, engaging in enriching discussions to enhance pediatric care in emergency settings.
See the eHospice feature
Sri Lanka's second online ECHO course
Following the success of the first online children’s palliative care program in 2023, the Sri Lanka Pediatric Palliative Care ECHO Series for 2024 launched this year to support healthcare professionals caring for children with serious illnesses.
This six-week online course, supported by the Sri Lanka College of Paediatricians and the National Cancer Institute Maharagama, featured interactive teaching, case presentations, and discussions. International partnerships with TWCC and the Hyderabad Centre for Palliative Care strengthened the program, which saw active participation from over 60 healthcare professionals.
Teaching and mentorship in Bhutan and Nepal
Dr. Spandana Rayala, Associate Director of the Sunflower Children’s Network, recently visited Bhutan and Nepal. In Bhutan, Dr. Rayala engaged with key stakeholders, including government officials, WHO representatives, NGOs, and local healthcare providers. She also conducted training sessions at local hospitals on pain assessment and management – including hands-on exercises with morphine prescriptions – and fundamental skills in communication in palliative care.
While in Nepal, Dr. Rayala met with stakeholders to address gaps in pediatric palliative care and explore potential collaborations. At Pokhara Academy, she conducted a one-day workshop on pain management and holistic care. Dr. Rayala also assessed Nepal's current pediatric palliative care landscape through facility visits and interviews with providers, identifying challenges and available resources to guide future initiatives.
The Sunflower – Palliative Care Podcast
Our podcast series seeks to engage with healthcare providers, policy makers, and others interested in palliative care. We recently launched a special series of episodes exploring nursing in Children’s Palliative Care.
🎙️ The series ‘Through a nurse's lens’ with guest host Rachel Neufeld:
Part 1: Adapting to pediatric palliative care
Part 2: Pearls and pitfalls after years of experience
Part 3: Using palliative nursing skills in an oncology ward
Sunflower Children's Network features on eHospice
eHospice is an international news site for palliative care that has featured some articles on the Sunflower Children's Network's palliative care initiatives.
Recent ehospice features include:
Revolutionising pediatric care: Bangladesh's leap into palliative Care
Launch of innovative ECHO course on clinical reflection
Transforming pediatric palliative care in Nepal and Bhutan
Site visits enhance children's palliative care
Supporting champions of pediatric palliative care in crisis settings
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We so appreciate your support of the Sunflower Children's Network.
Many of you have generously donated to help further our vision of children's palliative care. And many of you volunteer giving countless hours to the Network.
From all of us at Two Worlds Cancer Collaboration and our partners in the Sunflower Children's Network – Thank you!
Sincerely,
Dr. Megan Doherty
Pediatric Palliative Director
Sunflower Children's Network
Two Worlds Cancer Collaboration
Dr. Stuart Brown
Paliiative Care Specialist
Director
Two Worlds Cancer Collaboration
Rizwana Hussain
Programs & Project Manager
Sunflower Children's Network
Two Worlds Cancer Collaboration