Thrilled to showcase our Influencer Interview with Robert Macauley, M.D., F.A.A.P., F.A.A.H.P.M.
As one of the few pediatric palliative care doctors in the United States, Bob Macauley was used to people saying, “I’m so glad I don’t have your job.” He would explain that palliative care is more about living than dying, then offer to share some inspiring stories he witnessed daily. Because I Knew You, his latest book, tells the stories of children facing life-threatening illness, from babies diagnosed before birth through adolescence. They and their parents face incredible challenges with immense courage and devotion, inspiring doctors like Bob Macauley and showing them how much they have left to learn. For Bob, the work is personal: having survived abuse as a child, he dedicated his life to making sure that no other child would hurt the way he did. After growing up in a world where people did things no one ever should, he found a home among people who loved more deeply than he thought anyone could.
As the director of the OHSU Doernbecher Bridges program, Dr. Macauley specializes in palliative care, which focuses on improving quality of life for kids facing life-limiting illness. He is one of only three hundred pediatricians in the United States board-certified in palliative medicine. He values the chance to help children and their families work through some of the most difficult situations anyone can ever face. When life ends far too soon, there are a lot of tears, hand-holding, and silence. And when a child makes it through, there are tears of a different kind. The sweetest words he can ever hear from a family are “We don’t need you anymore.”
Watch the video here: https://vimeo.com/cdfoundation/iibm
For more information, contact:
Susan Gold, Director of Communications
Cunniff Dixon Foundation
susan@cunniffdixon.org