Kathy Hull: Stories from a home for terminally ill children
Kathy Hull: Historias de un hogar para niños con enfermedades terminales
Kathy Nicholson Hull founded the first freestanding pediatric palliative care center in the US. Full bio
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very wise kids that I've known,
muy sabios que he conocido,
to introduce you to a camel.
a un camello.
visiting one of our young patients
visitando a una joven paciente
at his ranch in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
en las montañas de Santa Cruz.
horses were too mundane.
eran demasiado mundanos.
have been such good friends
tan buenos amigos
to shuttle those sweet furry beasts
traer a esas dulces bestias peludas
from time to time.
niños enfermos de vez en cuando.
life expectancy of 40 to 50 years.
de vida promedio de 40 a 50 años.
of the children with whom I work
de los niños con los que trabajo
of the George Mark Children's House,
Casa de Niños George Mark,
palliative respite care center
de cuidados de relevo paliativos
intensivos pediátricos,
that so many children experienced
que tantos niños experimentaron
were at the end of their lives,
cuyos hijos estaban al final de sus vidas,
rumbled overhead on its track,
retumbaba sobre sus cabezas,
with each passing train car.
con cada tren que pasaba.
were fluorescent and too bright.
fluorescentes y demasiado brillantes.
al igual que el ascensor,
moments of their lives,
más insoportables de su vida,
to have a more peaceful place
un lugar más tranquilo
to their young daughters and sons.
a sus hijas e hijos.
than a hospital intensive care unit
de cuidados intensivos hospitalarios
can stay together
pueden permanecer juntas
de calidad con sus hijos,
por estancias de descanso,
over a span of many years.
en un lapso de muchos años.
nuestros viajeros frecuentes.
noisy quarters of the hospital,
y ruidosos cuartos del hospital,
for the families,
al aire libre
for children with physical limitations.
niños con limitaciones físicas.
from a hospital intensive care unit.
de cuidados intensivos del hospital.
that Lars had a brain anomaly
que Lars tenía una anomalía cerebral
he had for survival,
que tenía para sobrevivir,
to focus on the quality of time
en la calidad del tiempo
one of our family apartments
apartamentos familiares
para ser concreta,
with our aquatic therapist
con nuestro terapeuta acuático
que experimentaba
since Lars was with us,
que Lars estuvo con nosotros,
children's hospice care can create.
los niños de hospicio pueden crear.
was well managed,
fue bien administrado,
to be together in a beautiful place.
para estar juntos en un lugar hermoso.
hablar sobre la muerte,
la muerte de los niños.
nuestros propios hijos,
who have our own children,
the injustice of losing them.
la injusticia de perderlos.
que vinieron a recibir atención
to come for care
nuestras puertas.
that she might live another two weeks.
pudiera vivir otras dos semanas.
que viniera a nosotros.
accessories that she loved,
de Hello Kitty que amaba,
of every staff member.
cada miembro del personal.
the "George Mark bump,"
el "batacazo George Mark",
pronósticos de sus enfermedades
the prognoses of their illnesses
often to accommodate her requests,
para satisfacer sus peticiones,
spent lots of cozy time with Crystal.
un montón de tiempo acogedor con Crystal.
for about a week,
nosotros durante una semana,
estupenda casa grande,
usted venga, también.
y la secadora son gratis".
soon arrived from out of town,
llegó de fuera de la ciudad,
four months of Crystal's life
restantes de la vida de Crystal
was outside in her wheelchair
estaba Crystal en su silla de ruedas
of the year earlier in a hospital bed,
del año anterior en una cama de hospital,
because of the activities
debido a las actividades
created for her.
en vida infantil creó para ella.
for everybody in the house.
la joyería para todos en la casa.
to help decorate for Halloween.
a decorar para Halloween.
planning her tenth birthday,
planeando su décimo cumpleaños,
thought she would ever see.
pensó que ella vería nunca.
boas de plumas rosas para la ocasión,
in crime, Charlie, greeted me.
me saludaron.
a lemonade and cookie stand
un puesto de limonada y galletas
of the cookie that I had selected,
la galleta que había seleccionado,
for one cookie.
alto por una galleta.
forever impacted mine.
afectó la mía para siempre.
is shortened by a horrific illness
se acorta por una enfermedad horrible
that Crystal received
especializado que recibió Crystal
respite and hospice care
de hospicio de los niños
from our healthcare landscape.
en nuestro panorama de salud.
of a hospital intensive care unit,
intensivos hospitalarios,
con las personas que ayudan,
that we're doing.
que estamos haciendo.
miembros de la familia
esta sabiduría especial
pediatric hospices in the United States,
independientes en Estados Unidos,
que basados en nuestro modelo,
that based on our model,
under various stages of development.
etapas de desarrollo.
who die in the United States every year
que mueren cada año en Estados Unidos
de los hospitales,
under those harsh, institutional lights
difíciles luces institucionales
the population of the United States,
de la población de Estados Unidos,
of the state of California,
del tamaño del estado de California,
de hospicio y de alivio.
obviously many times.
with our positive can-do attitude
los estadounidenses,
del puedo hacerlo,
that our medical care system will fix it,
sistema de atención médica lo arreglará,
for which there is no cure.
infantil para la que no hay cura.
to keep children alive
para mantener a los niños vivos
that we might give them
bondad que podamos darles
pacífico y sin dolor.
for many hospital physicians
para muchos médicos del hospital
about saving lives,
ha sido sobre salvar vidas,
to the end of life.
al paciente hasta el final de la vida.
for whom we cared at the end of her life
nos preocupamos por el final de su vida
to help you bring an infant into the world
a traer un bebé al mundo,
a dejar ir a un bebé.
at George Mark?
mágico de George Mark?
that bring our young patients to us
que traen a nuestros pacientes jóvenes
have often been restricted,
han sido restringidas,
for long periods of time,
por largos períodos,
of chemotherapy or rehab.
quimioterapia o de rehabilitación.
of ignoring those limitations.
esas limitaciones.
es "¿Por qué no?"
for another baseball season
otra temporada de béisbol
puesto por el personal y los niños
put on by the staff and kids
playing a piano piece with his feet,
tocando una pieza de piano con sus pies,
un baile todos los años.
a boutonniere on his son's tuxedo lapel.
en la solapa del esmoquin de su hijo.
the staff or the kids.
el personal o los niños.
delightful teenaged girls,
encantadoras adolescentes,
of my whole life."
predeterminada sea "sí"
sea "¿Por qué no?"
la vida es demasiado corta,
to be 85 years or just eight.
o apenas ocho.
that death doesn't exist
pequeña que amamos,
tiempo uno de nosotros vive.
most uncompromising bravery
más intransigente
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Kathy Hull - Pediatric psychologistKathy Nicholson Hull founded the first freestanding pediatric palliative care center in the US.
Why you should listen
With her pioneering spirit and tenacious nature, Dr. Kathy Hull recognized an unmet need in the provision of services to children with incurable medical conditions. Working in a traditional medical environment at a prominent children's hospital, with its emphasis on curative treatment, Hull realized the necessity for a more supportive medical model, and setting, for children at the end of their lives. Her research of pediatric care modalities convinced her that a well-established prototype of pediatric palliative care existed throughout Europe and could be replicated here.
Acting as an architect for creative change, Hull navigated the labyrinth of permits and approvals, as well as managed the design and building of the George Mark Children's House (GMCH). The House opened in 2004 in San Leandro, California, where it's set on five beautifully landscaped acres. Since opening its doors, more than twelve hundred children and their families have been lovingly cared for by the staff of GMCH. Additionally, George Mark has served as the role model for sixteen other entities currently under development throughout the United States. Presently, Dr. Hull is the staff Psychologist and President of the Board of GMCH, as well as being an adjunct staff member at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland.
Among the honors Hull has received for her philanthropy and humanitarianism are Maria Shriver’s Minerva Award; Traditional Home Magazine Classic Woman Award Purpose Prize Fellow and Jefferson Award. She is also a Regent Emeritus of Santa Clara University. Hull and her husband Bill reside in the San Francisco Bay Area and are proud parents of eight offspring and have eight delightful grandchildren.
Kathy Hull | Speaker | TED.com