June 23, 2025

Ep. 506 Pediatric Palliative Care and the Remarkable Children it Serves with Bob Macauley MD

54 minutes

Learn about the specialty of pediatric palliative care and how one doctor has benefitted from his relationship with his seriously ill patients.

My guest Dr. Bob Macauley is one of only a few hundred pediatricians in the U.S. specializing in palliative care for children with life-threatening illness. Uniquely Dr. Macauley attended both divinity school and medical school at the same time, which gives him a spiritual perspective on palliative care as well. He is the author of the recently published book Because I Knew You: How Some Remarkable Sick Kids Healed a Doctor’s Soul. Learn more at his website:

robertmacauley.com

Get the book here

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This episode includes:

What makes pediatric palliative care different from adult care

How children understand and cope with their own mortality

How his training as both a doctor and an Episcopal priest intersect in his approach to care

Some of the remarkable stories of children he has encountered

The challenges and rewards of supporting families during the most vulnerable times

Why the presence of joy and sorrow often coexist in children’s experiences

The spiritual and emotional lessons Dr. Macauley has learned from his work

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