In the United States over 500,000 children cope with life-threatening or life-limiting conditions. These serious and often complex medical conditions include:
- Conditions for which curative treatment is available, but may be unsuccessful:
- Severe trauma
- Severe congenital or acquired heart disease
- Cancer
- Conditions requiring long term treatment aimed at maintaining the quality of life:
- Cystic fibrosis
- Severe Immunodeficiencies
- Severe gastrointestinal disorders such as gastroschisis
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Certain chromosomal abnormalities such as Trisomy 13 or 18
- Conditions causing severe disability and susceptibility to health complications with a likelihood of premature death:
- Severe cerebral palsy
- Severe neurologic sequelae of infectious disease
- Extreme prematurity
- Hypoxic brain injury
The Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital Hummingbird Program is a consultative service designed to provide comprehensive medical, psychological, social, and spiritual support for children facing a life-threatening complex medical condition and their families.
The Hummingbird team includes subspecialty pediatric physicians, a nurse specialist, social worker, and chaplain. The team works closely with other pediatric care providers including clinical nutritionists, pharmacists, child life specialists, a clinical psychologist, and music, physical, speech, and occupational therapists.
