The National Association of Catholic Chaplains

Menu
  • Membership
      • Apply for Membership
      • Frequently-Asked Questions about Membership
      • Request Retired Membership
      • State Liaisons
      • Newest Members
      • Membership Directory
      • Member map
      • Celebrating Our Members’ 25-year Membership and Certification
      • In Memoriam: deceased NACC members
    • Close
  • Certification
    • Initial Board Certification
      • Board Certified Chaplain (BCC)
      • Certified Associate Chaplain (CAC)
      • Palliative Care and Hospice Advanced Certification (PCHAC)
      • VA Initial Board Certification
      • Recognition of Strategic Partners Board Certification
      • Newly Certified Chaplains
      • Close
    • Renewal of Certification
    • Certification Competencies & Procedures
      • Certification Competencies & Procedures
      • Important Background on NACC Certification Competencies
      • Professional Code of Ethics for Spiritual Care Professionals
      • Certification Commission
      • Certification Appeals Panel
      • Ethics Appeals Panel
      • Close
    • Mentors
    • Recognition of Strategic Partners Board Certification
    • Verifying Certification
    • Maintaining Certification in Retirement
    • Graduate Theological Programs
    • Close
  • Education Resources
      • 2023 Retreat
      • 2023 Webinar Series
      • Recorded webinars (2009-2022)
      • Calendar of Events
      • Graduate Theological Programs
      • CPE Programs
      • NACC Professional Networking Calls
      • Continuing Education Hour Requests – Guidelines and Forms
      • Ongoing Educational Opportunities
      • Local/Regional Gatherings & Events
      • Past Conferences (2004 – 2022)
      • Vision
    • Close
  • Resources
    • Antiracism Resources
    • Administrator Resources
    • Awareness Resources
    • Chaplaincy Care Resources
    • Coronavirus Resources & Updates
    • Job Listings
    • The Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling
    • Partners in Pastoral Care
    • Research
    • Specialty Care Resources
    • Spirituality and Prayer Resources
    • Spiritual Care Department Resources
    • Vision
    • Close
  • About NACC
    • About the NACC
      • Mission/Vision/Values
      • Constitution and ByLaws
      • Strategic Plan
      • History
      • Close
    • Annual Awards
    • Association Leadership
      • NACC Board of Directors
      • Committees, Commissions, and Panels
      • National Office Staff
      • Episcopal Advisory Council
      • Close
    • Catholic Prison Ministries Coalition (CPMC)
    • Choose Chaplaincy
    • Health Care Collaborators
    • NACC Merchandise
    • NACC Publications and Documents
      • Vision
      • NACC Now
      • Annual Reports & Financial Reviews
      • Documents and publications
      • NACC Blog
      • Close
    • Partners in Pastoral Care
    • Partners for Professional Excellence in Spiritual Care
    • Vision
    • Close
  • Choose Chaplaincy
  • Contact Us
      • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

    • Close
  • Donate Now
  • Member Login
Home » Vision » September-October 2013 » Book offers parents of seriously ill children practical tips, inspirational material

Book offers parents of seriously ill children practical tips, inspirational material

By Laura Richter, MDiv

A Different Dream for My Child: Meditations for Parents of Critically or Chronically Ill Children. By Jolene Philo, Discovery House Publishers, Grand Rapids, MI, 2009. Paperback, 266 pp. $5.99.
Book Review
Jolene Philo’s book, A Different Dream for My Child, thoughtfully weaves together personal narratives to create a meaningful resource for parents struggling with pediatric illness. Ms. Philo’s experience with illness as her newborn son battled a life-threatening condition gave her incredible insight, which is sprinkled throughout this work. Stories from other couples experiencing chronic and life-threatening diseases with their children are also included, providing a rich experience base on which the book rests. This resource provides practical coping tips as well as inspirational material, making it a great resource for any parent struggling with the illness of a child.

The book is divided into six overarching themes, each of which centers on a different aspect of pediatric illness. The sections explore moments in the disease process including diagnosis, hospital life, juggling two worlds (hospital and home) and long-term health conditions as well as the themes of losing a child and raising a survivor. Chapters are constructed similarly, beginning with a bible quote, which is followed by a short personal narrative. Each chapter closes with a prayer to God and reflection moment, providing thoughtful questions for the reader to ponder. Each chapter is short (three to four pages) and could serve as a thought-a-day reflection or longer term read.

Ms. Philo covers the range of emotions and experiences that grieving parents may encounter after a serious medical diagnosis for their child. She explores handling the diagnosis, feelings experienced as the child progresses through stages of disease, life at the hospital, juggling competing demands once the child has returned home, the realization that a condition is chronic, the depression that can follow the loss of a child, and the unending hope a parent must nurture when dealing with a seriously ill child. Each chapter provides practical information about hospital stays, helpful advice for struggling parents and creative ideas for making it through difficult times. A strong spiritual undercurrent runs through each chapter, reminding the reader that God is present in all situations and moments, difficult or joyful.

Ms. Philo has thoughtfully woven together experience, advice and prayer, creating a meaningful resource for parents struggling with pediatric illness. Though much has changed since Ms. Philo’s experience in 1982 and support groups are more prominent, parents are often left to piece together resources as they move between the healthcare environment and home. Parents who struggle with the difficult diagnosis of a child may experience a host of intense feelings, including frustration, doubt, despair, grief and hopelessness. Ms. Philo reminds the reader that we have endless resources available to us and that God will never abandon us. God walks beside us during the most challenging of moments, working tirelessly to provide the support we need through the outstretched hand of a friend, an offer from a family member, and moments of peace during difficult times.

Readers will find a host of possible resources and inspirational themes to buoy them on the rough seas of critical or chronic pediatric illness. This book will be a great resource for the parent struggling with a recent diagnosis, as well as the parent well into the journey of chronic illness. The short chapters make the book easy to pick up – whether you have five minutes or an hour. Ms. Philo’s sharing of her own experience, as well as that of others, provides an important resource that can be useful to parents at any point on the pediatric illness journey.

Laura Richter is director of workplace spirituality at Ascension Health in St. Louis, MO.

The National Association of Catholic Chaplains
Become a Member Would you like to get Certified?

Free Publications

Don’t miss the latest news, subscribe to our newsletter today! You don’t have to be a member to subscribe.

National Association of Catholic Chaplains
4915 S. Howell Avenue, Suite 501
Milwaukee, WI 53207
Get Directions

Phone: (414) 483-4898
Fax: (414) 483-6712
Email: info@nacc.org

Our office hours
Mon-Thur 8:00am – 5:00pm Central Time
Friday 8:00am – 12 Noon
Sat-Sun closed

Job Listings

Current job opportunities for chaplains, priests, CPE residents, supervisors, directors of pastoral care, managers, mission directors, and more.

Job Listings

Free Publications

Don’t miss the latest news, subscribe to our newsletter today! You don’t have to be a member to subscribe.

Donate Now

Learn more about making a tax-deductible donation to NACC.

Donate Now

Connect with us

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
© 1997 - 2023 National Association of Catholic Chaplains - Sitemap

Built by Westwords