Palliative Care Pursuit Walk

Saturday, March 10, 2012, 10 a.m. at El Dorado Park, Long Beach, CA

Register to Walk | Support a Walker | Volunteer

Why we are Walking:

Kellie Mariah Llanos was born November 20, 2004 with a generic disorder called Trisomy 13 – doctors gave her one month to live. Instead, Kellie lived for five wonderful years while receiving treatment at Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach. Because of her rare disorder Kellie and her family considered Miller Children’s their second home. Coping with long stays in a hospital can be difficult for the child and family, but Kellie’s parents Rachel and Javier, and her brother Martin, found comfort in a program known as Pediatric Supportive and Palliative Care Service at MCHLB. Supportive care, also called palliative care, involves a variety of resources to improve the quality of life for a child with a chronic or serious illness by addressing their needs for comfort.

“This program gave Kellie a better quality life and that is something, as a mother, I will forever be grateful,” says Rachel. “The Palliative Care Program and the quality care team treated her with dignity, compassion and helped her live life to the fullest until her last breath.”

Rachel feels this program will help thousands of children and their families. She felt compelled to do something to help raise funds for this vital part of a child’s hospital stay and embarked on the idea to start the Palliative Care Pursuit Walk. The walk will help raise funds and awareness for this program, and honor the life of her beautiful little girl, Kellie. You can support Rachel’s efforts by Registering for the walk and/or creating your own personal fundraising page. All proceeds will benefit the Pediatric Supportive and Palliative Care Service.

About the Walk:

Location: El Dorado Park East at the Golden Grove Area
Date: Saturday, March 10, 2012
Time: 10 a.m.
Registration: $20 fee per walker - includes t-shirt
Registration for a minor (12 and under): Free
Fundraising: Once you register for the walk a fundraising page will automatically be made for you to help to continue to raise funds from your friends and family.

For questions or more information please contact Brett Beck at 562.933.1676 or bbeck@memorialcare.org.

About Pediatric Supportive and Palliative Care Service:

Multi-disciplinary care teams from Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Neonatal Intensive Care, Pediatric Intensive Care, and General Pediatrics – including physicians, nurses, social workers, case managers and chaplains – are experts at culturally respectful, family centered care for seriously ill children. This distinctive care team applies the latest in palliative care initiatives and ensures palliative care experts are throughout the hospital, establishing Miller Children’s as a leader in pediatric palliative care. For more information click here: http://www.millerchildrenshospitallb.org/resource-directory/palliative-care.