Wish of a Young Failing Heart: Compassionate Listening in Palliative Care.

Abstract

A young man hospitalized in severe biventricular heart failure, awaiting his third heart transplant, held a wish that he had not expressed to any of the myriad of clinicians involved in his care. It was only at the suggestion of his mother that he, in the hope of having his wish fulfilled, shared his wish with a medical student on the Palliative Care service. Through years of navigating the stressful complexities of her son's medical care, this mother had encountered Palliative care and had come to expect of palliative care, a compassionate presence, compassionate listening, and a compassionate response.