S4E1 - Wish, Worry and Wonder: Reflections from a paediatric palliative care physician

Dr. Robert Macauley helps us kick off Season 4 with his powerful book Because I Knew You – How Some Remarkable Sick Kids Healed a Doctor’s Soul. At first glance, a book about children living with and dying from terminal illness might sound unbearably heavy, but listeners will find this episode surprisingly uplifting. Through his words and stories, Dr. Macauley reminds us of the deep goodness and resilience in our world.

His personal journey spans from Episcopalian priest to medical ethicist, and ultimately to pediatric palliative care physician. Woven throughout is how these experiences helped in his own healing from childhood sexual abuse.

Dr. Macauley’s skilled storytelling of the lives of these remarkable children invites us to connect with our own vulnerability, our shared humanity, and the unexpected beauty that can be found even in tragedy. Simply put, he is genuinely human — and we know that will come through in this conversation.

All proceeds from his book go to support the pediatric palliative care program at OHSU, with a portion contributed to Darkness to Light (d2l.org), an organization dedicated to preventing child sexual abuse.

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