The granting of wishes at a child’s end of life. Construction of meanings from the parents’ perspective. A qualitative study.

Abstract

Introduction: Granting the wishes of an adolescent child in their final stages of life can be regarded as a valuable tool of care within Pediatric Palliative Care during the parents’ grieving process.  This intervention helps to improve the child’s quality of life and provides a meaningful resource for families during their farewell.

Aim: Exploring the parents’ perception of their deceased child’s wish-granted in the context of Pediatric Palliative Care.

Methods: A qualitative study from Grounded Theory. Participants were parents of children whose wishes were granted by Fundación 38 Grados (Madrid) and whose children were already deceased at the time of the study. Data was analyzed via constant comparison method until identification of key concepts and the core category were reached.

Results: Four main categories arise: 1) Wish-granting opens doors; 2) it positions the family; 3) Wanting to give back what they have received; 4) experiencing wish-granting.12 dimensions and a core category rose from those categories.

Conclusions: Wish-granting has been an intense experience for parents, who look back on it positively and it drives them now to help others who have lost their children. This intervention has provided meaningful spaces for dialogue and farewell. Parents view the Wish as a legacy from their child, which is helping them to give back meaning to their loss.