Wearing many hats: the unexpected fashion parade in children’s palliative care

Laughter, Love, and a Wardrobe Full of Roles
Two days before ‘Hats on for Children’s Palliative Care Day’ Dr Julia Ambler, Medical Director and co-founder of Umduduzi Hospice Care for Children in Durban takes a lighthearted look at the important work of members in a children’s palliative care team.  

Every day, members of our children’s palliative care team juggle more hats than the cast of a particularly indecisive pantomime. Each team member must be able to adapt faster than one of Marvel’s Transformers fulfilling multiple roles.

Let’s peek into our “hat cupboard” and see what’s on the shelf:

• The Nurse Hat: Complete with eyes front, rear and sides, bottomless pockets, and an uncanny ability to hear a monitor beep from three wards away. This is the hat you wear when you’re keeping track of patients’ meds, vitals, files, and finding that one lost plushie.
• The Jester Hat: Brightly coloured and complete with bells and spinning bows, this is perfect for impromptu puppet shows and silly dances. Bonus points if you can juggle (literally or figuratively).
• The Detective Hat: Think super sleuth Sherlock Holmes, but with more stickers. You wear this when you’re solving the mysteries of “I don’t feel well,” “Where does it hurt?” or “Where did that smell come from?”
• The Chef Hat: Worn when negotiating the delicate culinary needs of little ones— “No peas, only strawberry yoghurt, and the bread must be triangles and not squares!”
• The Counsellor Beret: Well-worn from all the hugs, this one comes out when you’re offering comfort to worried families, soothing fears, or simply listening without judgement.
• The Tech Support Beanie: When the tablet refuses to play cartoons, you become the IT expert, pressing buttons with the confidence of someone who’s definitely read the manual (or at least hopes for the best).
• The Fundraising Fedora: worn at all times, because without the endless marketing and social media posting, there is nearly no palliative care for kids in South Africa and certainly not in the shape of Umduduzi – Hospice Care for Children.
• The Admin Balaklava: For paperwork, phone calls, and deciphering the secret code of hospital forms (“Do you tick the box or cross it?”). This hat means trying to keep one’s head down, unseen to get the tasks finished quickly before anyone asks you to do something else.
• The Teammate Cap: Because no one does this alone! For high-fives, quick debriefs, sharing biscuits and possibly a dark sense of humour.

Wearing all these hats isn’t just about multi-tasking—it’s about meeting children and families wherever they are, in whatever way they need. Sometimes, all in the space of a single afternoon.

The funny thing is you never really know which hat you’ll need next. One minute you’re a medical professional, the next you’re a storyteller, then a shoulder to cry on, followed by an expert on “unicorn biology.” Flexibility is less a skill and more a lifestyle.

Humour is an essential accessory to these hats. It keeps us sane, helps us build trust, and reminds us that—no matter how heavy the day might feel—there’s always room for a smile, a giggle, or a silly hat selfie.

So, to everyone in children’s palliative care—wear your hats with pride. The wardrobe may be crowded, but each one is a badge of honour, sprinkled with love, resilience, and just a dash of glitter.

And if you ever forget which hat you’re meant to be wearing, don’t worry—just put on your favourite, add a smile, and know that you’re making a world of difference. (But maybe check for food stains first!)

Join us wearing a hat on Friday to celebrate #Hatson4CPC. Find out more here

Umduduzi means ‘the Comforter’ in Isizulu. As a donor funded NPO we provide palliative care to children with life-threatening and life-limiting illnesses in KZN, South Africa.
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