Angel Babies
June 7th, 2008
By Tom Pedreira
The Mikkelborg firm is vey pleased and privileged to be legal counsel for Hinds Hospice, a provider of hospice care in the Central Valley of California. The compassion of Hinds Hospice in providing palliative care to terminally ill patients and their families is unparalleled.
As but one example of the care provided, the hospice's Angel Babies program was established by founder Nancy Hinds 2002. After caring for hospice patients for many years, Hinds saw an unmet need for families of critically ill babies.
The extraordinary Angel Babies program was recently recognized by the Advance health care publication in the following article: Guardians of Angels. The article recounts how Hinds set to work approaching hospitals, letting L&D nurses know there was a service available for women whose unborn children have a life-limiting diagnosis. She was met with sighs of relief.
As reported by Advance:
"When Nancy Hinds came to me," I said "thank you," said Mary Burke, RN,C, L&D nurse at Community Medical. "We want to give the women of our community loving, caring deliveries. It was very hard to see moms go through labor and delivery knowing their babies weren't going to make it, or with such disabilities that they'd only survive a short time. The Angel Babies program lets us help the moms and dads, then hand off that care to the people at Hinds Hospice. It's really a collaborative effort between the nurses, doctors, hospitals and Hinds staff, and it helps families."
The positive impact Angels Babies program goes far beyond the care provided. As noted by Katherine Hartley, RN, an L&D nurse at Kaiser Foundation Hospital, Fresno, Calfiornia:
"This is the best thing I've ever done with my time and talent . . . Angel Babies sent me to bereavement training and made me a better nurse."
Kathy Cromwell, LCSW, director of the Angels Baby program, as well as Hinds Center for Grief and Loss, sees the process as a continuum, honoring the child who left while supporting the family as it continues.
"There is no foot too small that it cannot leave an imprint on this world," Cromwell said. "We cherish each baby, grieve with each family and offer hope and support."
Tom Pedreira, an attorney with the Mikkelborg firm, has represented Hinds Hospice for many years.
|
