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 have not gained significant attention in care contexts. This is particularly true for dying children and all infants who are dependent on inter-personal 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 and dependency which are necessary 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.