Ethox Seminar - The Meaning and Dying of Death for Children: Addressing Pediatric Palliative Care Gaps
Christina Lamb, Visiting Academic, Uehiro Oxford Institute; Bioethicist & Implementation Scientist, St. Michael's College, University of Toronto
Tuesday, 20 May 2025, 10.30am to 12pm
This will be a hybrid seminar in LG Seminar Room 0, Big Data Institute (Old Road Campus), and on Zoom (see joining link below).
Abstract
Globally, there is a growing recognition that dying, and death have become medicalized events in healthcare. At the same time, the lack of pediatric palliative care access is a Global Health problem. However, the meaning of dying and death and being a child have not gained significant attention in care contexts. This is particularly true for dying children and all infants who are dependent on inter-personal, adult relationships for life decisions that affect their well-being.
To start to address the pediatric palliative care access and care gaps, the meaning of dying and death for children needs to be appreciated. In this presentation, I will outline how to start addressing these gaps by discussing the concepts of interpersonal relationality, dependency and the consideration of a spiritual ontology which are relevant for generating ethically meaningful care for dying children. To that end, I will also provide an overview of my research highlighting how care for dying children needs a unique solution and outlining a science-engaged humanities approach in which to do so.
Bio
Christina Lamb is a bioethicist and an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Health Disciplines, Athabasca University (Canada) and a Research Associate at the Canadian Catholic Bioethics Institute, St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto (Canada). Dr Lamb was a Fellow in Science-Engaged Theology in the New Visions in Theological Anthropology project in the School of Divinity, University of St. Andrews (Scotland, 2020-22). She has interdisciplinary expertise in health science, empirical research and the humanities, and clinical expertise in paediatric oncology acute care, clinical bioethics and Global Health / Bioethics. Dr Lamb directs an international program of research on conscience in the ‘Aletheia Conscience Project’ and she is also establishing a national program of research on end-of-life ethics for children as a New Investigator funded by the Sick Kids Foundation and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research - Institute of Human Development, Child and Youth Health. Dr Lamb also explores the medicalization of death and the need to revalue dying and death as life events in healthcare. She is the author of ‘Conscience: The integrating aspect of being a moral person’ (in progress).