Linking to the World Hospice and Palliative Care Day on October 11, the ICPCN would like to use the entire month of October to run the#Hatsonforchildrenshospicecare Social Media campaign that not only raises awareness of children’s palliative care but also recognises the various and valuable members of a children’s palliative care multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary team, all of whom work together to provide holistic and coordinated care to the child and to the family.
Who cares? We do!
The English idiom of “wearing many different hats” is most appropriate to this year’s theme Who cares? We do! and most applicable when describing children’s palliative care teams. When caring for a seriously ill child, what hat do you wear and how many hats do you wear? Some team members will wear many hats, for example, mothers with very sick children often become expert nurses, counsellors, teachers and dieticians.
How can you support this campaign?
Author Jeff Dixon once said, “You can’t do everything; but you can do something.” ICPCN has supplied a list of things that you can do in October to show your support for this campaign and possibly win a prize of one of three $25 Amazon vouchers. Here are some suggestions:
1. Support the campaign on your social media pages. Many people do not even know that hospice and palliative care services for children exist. You can help us to change this by raising awareness through all your social media contacts. Here is what you need to do:
- Upload a picture or selfie of yourself wearing a hat to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and any other social media platforms that you are on.
- Use the hashtag #Hatsonforchildrenshospicecare either under the picture or have it written on a piece of paper that you are holding.
- Challenge at least 3 of your friends to do the same.
- Share your picture on the ICPCN Facebook page for a chance to win one of three $25 Amazon vouchers. At the end of October, three lucky people who have uploaded their pictures to this page will win a voucher.
2. Give a donation.
- Find out where their nearest children’s hospice and palliative care service is. The ICPCN website has a directory of services where many children’s palliative care services are listed with their locations and contact details.
- Contact the organisation and ask what funding needs they have.
- Make a donation.
3. Raise funds by hosting or organising an event.
- Hold a “Mad Hatter’s Tea Party” or a “High Tea” where guests are required to wear hats and bring a donation. OR
- Ask a local school to host a ‘hat wearing’ day where each child brings a small donation for the nearest children’s hospice organisation. OR
- Hold a ‘hat wearing’ day at your place of work and ask everyone for a donation towards children’s hospice and palliative care.
If there are no services close to you, you may consider a donation to the ICPCN. The ICPCN carries out vital work developing, supporting, educating and networking children’s hospice and palliative care services around the world.
Read more about the campaign and how you can become involved here.
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