Pediatric hospice care is a specialized form of end-of-life care for children who are not expected to survive their illness. It focuses on:

• Managing physical symptoms and pain
• Supporting emotional and psychological needs
• Helping families make decisions
• Providing spiritual and grief support
• Honoring the child’s experience, voice, and comfort

Unlike adult hospice, pediatric hospice may still include curative treatment, depending on family goals. It's a flexible, family-centered approach.

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Who is eligible for pediatric hospice?

Eligibility varies, but generally includes:

• Children diagnosed with life-limiting conditions
• Infants with congenital anomalies or severe prematurity
• Adolescents with progressive diseases (e.g., cancer, neurological disorders)
• Children whose families choose comfort-focused care after exhausting curative options

A prognosis of six months or less is often a guideline — but pediatric hospice adapts to the family, not the calendar.

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Where care takes place

Pediatric hospice can be provided:

• In the child’s home
• At a dedicated children’s hospice facility
• In hospitals or nursing homes (in collaboration with hospice teams)

Wherever it happens, the focus is on comfort and presence, not interventions or machines.

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Core values of pediatric hospice

1. Family-centered care

The child is the patient, but the whole family receives support — parents, siblings, and extended relatives.

2. Developmentally appropriate communication

Specialists help children understand their illness and care in ways that are age-appropriate and emotionally safe.

3. Symptom and pain management

The team works to ensure the child is free of suffering as much as possible, using both medication and comfort techniques.

4. Emotional and spiritual care

From fear and sadness to love and legacy, pediatric hospice makes space for the full range of human experience.

5. Anticipatory grief and bereavement care

Support begins before death and continues long after — for every member of the family.

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The hospice team

A pediatric hospice team often includes:

• Physicians and nurses
• Child life specialists
• Social workers
• Chaplains or spiritual care advisors
• Therapists (play, art, music)
• Bereavement counselors
• Volunteers trained in pediatric settings

They work together to support not just life’s end — but its meaning, even in the shortest lives.

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The role of choice

Pediatric hospice respects the choices of families — and, when possible, of the child. Some may want music or stories. Others may want space, quiet, or rituals.

These choices are sacred.

For families interested in cryopreservation, hospice can be an essential part of preparation — allowing the patient to be cared for at home or in a setting where stabilization protocols can be activated quickly after legal death.

At Tomorrow.bio, we work closely with families and providers to ensure that cryopreservation aligns with the child’s comfort, dignity, and timing. Schedule a call to learn more.

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A different kind of goodbye

Pediatric hospice is not about giving up — it’s about giving everything that still matters: comfort, love, honesty, and togetherness.

In the presence of loss, it offers presence. In the absence of cures, it offers care.

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About Tomorrow.bio

At Tomorrow.bio, we are dedicated to advancing the science of cryopreservation with the goal of giving people and pets a second chance at life. As Europe’s leading cryopreservation provider, we focus on rapid, high-quality standby, stabilization, and storage of terminal patients — preserving them until future medical technologies may allow revival and treatment.

📧 Contact us at: hello@tomorrow.bio
🌐 Visit our website: www.tomorrow.bio
🤝 Schedule a consultation: Book a call

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