‘I’m a Leeds children’s doctor - here’s why I wrote a book to break the stigma around end-of-life care’

A doctor has written a new book drawn from her experience working in palliative care at the largest children’s hospice in West Yorkshire.

The Wrong Order of Things by Dr Michelle Hills, Chief Medical Officer at Martin House Children’s Hospice, uses a series of anonymised, real-life composite stories to explore the experiences of children and families facing life-shortening illness.

The book, which comes out on September 10, examines the strength, courage and moments of happiness families can find in incredibly difficult circumstances.

Dr Hills hopes the new book will help demystify palliative care and encourage more open conversations.

“Society needs to talk more openly about death, dying and grief,” Dr Hills said.

“We need to extend this conversation to include the reality that children can die too. And we need to consider how we talk honestly and kindly to children about ill health, death, grief and bereavement.”

The release of The Wrong Order of Things will be marked by a book launch at the White Rose Book Café in Thirsk on Saturday, September 12.

Tickets cost £3 and the event will feature a talk and reading from Dr Hills followed by a Q&A.

Dr Hills studied medicine at Cambridge before completing postgraduate degrees in palliative medicine and medical education at Cardiff.

Since then, she has spent her career in palliative care, both as an NHS hospital consultant and in the children’s hospice sector.

She has also served as Chair of the Paediatric Palliative Medicine Committee for the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, written about issues affecting the sector, and spoken at the Houses of Parliament as part of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Dying Well.

The book title The Wrong Order of Things, recognises the fact that most parents expect to die before their children, and that paediatric end-of-life care is a shocking and difficult subject.

However, Dr Hills hopes to break down stigmas and misconceptions

Dr Hills said: “Palliative and hospice care is about living before you die. Children's hospices are happy places full of music and art and play....and living! The myth that they are just for end-of-life care creates barriers for referrals. So many children and families can benefit from hospice support.”

“We need to make children's lives better in every way possible. Children need to be children even when they are having palliative care.”

Martin House, based in Boston Spa, has been providing family-led specialist palliative care and support for children and young people with life-shortening conditions since 1987.

The children’s hospice supports over 550 children and young people and their families, alongside around 220 bereaved family members across West, North and East Yorkshire.

Earlier this year, Martin House unveiled a £21.9m transformation of its facilities to modernise and expand the hospice.