Washington University School of Medicine Oral Histories
Myra Bluebond-Langner Oral History
Interviewer
Bryan Sisk MD, MSCI
Files
Summary
Myra Bluebond-Langner was interviewed by Brian Sisk on July 17, 2019 for approximately one hour and 40 minutes for the Pediatric Palliative Care Oral History Project.
Biographical Information: Interviewee
Myra Bluebond-Langner is currently the True Colours Chair in Palliative Care for Children and Young People where she works to develop and inform both policy and transdisciplinary best practices with the Louis Dundas Centre for Children’s Palliative Care. She is also the Board of Governors Professor of Anthropology and Childhood studies at Rutgers University. Dr. Bluebond-Langner has served in many leadership roles including the Director of the Rutgers University Center for Children and Childhood Studies and the editor of the first multidisciplinary book of childhood studies.
Dr. Bluebond-Langner’s has research interests are childhood, health and illness, and childhood socialization. She authored and co-authored several papers, chapters, and books, including The Private Worlds of Dying Children and In the Shadow of Illness. She also serves on many editorial boards such as the British Medical Journal: Supportive and Palliative Care and Child and Society.
Biographical Information: Interviewer
Bryan Sisk, MD, MSCI is an Assistant Professor in Pediatric Hematology and Oncology and an Assistant Professor in General Medical Sciences as a member of the Bioethics Research Center at Washington University in St. Louis. He completed medical school at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University. He completed his clinical training at St. Louis Children’s Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine.
Dr. Sisk was a clinical fellow in pediatric hematology and oncology when he initiated this Pediatric Palliative Care Oral History Project. As a trainee, Dr. Sisk had a strong interest in palliative care, the approach to the suffering of children, and the history of medicine. Prior to initiating this project, Dr. Sisk performed an in-depth review of the development of pediatric palliative care as a discipline and philosophy. This research culminated in a publication entitled, “Response to Suffering of the Seriously Ill Child: A History of Palliative Care for Children” in the journal Pediatrics. However, this historical review was limited to textbooks and publications. It lacked the personal experience of caring for these children and inspiring the development of a new clinical discipline. Inspired by David Clark’s oral history of the adult hospice movement, Dr. Sisk began to plan this pediatric oral history project.
Of note, this collection of oral histories is incomplete, and many important figures have not (yet) been interviewed. Dr. Sisk’s goal is to continue adding to this collection create a rich repository of personal insights and wisdom from leaders who changed the field of pediatrics.
Interview Date
2019-07-17
Collection Identifier
OH154-S03
Length
Approximately one hour and 40 minutes.
Restrictions
Users wishing to publish (in whole, or in part) content taken from the audio or transcript of this oral history interview must request, sign, and return a Statement of Use form to the Becker Archives. For detailed information regarding publication and use of this oral history, contact the Becker Archives (arb@wusm.wustl.edu).
Recommended Citation
Myra Bluebond-Langner Oral History, OH154-S03, Bernard Becker Medical Library Archives, Washington University in St. Louis.
Disclaimer
The Becker Archives provides access to this oral history interview as a record of the past. This interview reflects the attitudes, perspectives, and beliefs of the interview participants, which may reflect outdated, biased, and offensive views and opinions. The Becker Archives does not endorse the views expressed in this interview, which may contain materials offensive to some users.
Notes
This oral history has access restrictions. Requests made to the Becker Library for access to the transcripts and audio recordings, prior to January 1, 2041, must be approved by Dr. Myra Bluebond-Langner. Contact the archivists at Becker Library for more information.