Washington University School of Medicine Oral Histories
Frances Dominica Oral History
Interviewer
Bryan Sisk MD, MSCI
Files
Download Interview Transcript [PDF] (119 KB)
Summary
Frances Dominica was interviewed by Brian Sisk on May 20, 2019 for approximately one hour and 2 minutes for the Pediatric Palliative Care Oral History Project.
Scope and Content
Sister Frances Dominica begins the interview by describing one particular experience early on in her pediatric nursing career that influenced her to found Helen House, the first pediatric respite and hospice house. Helen House implemented a comfortable, homey, and respite hospice model for chronically sick children. Sister Dominica also describes some of her guiding principles of having the children and the families take an active role in shaping their experiences at the Helen House, and eventually at the Douglas House. She then describes some of the early practices of pain management as well as the influence that others in palliative and hospice movements had on her development of pediatric hospice. Sister Dominica also recalled some of the generosity and support for Helen House that the surrounding community displayed. Sister Dominica then goes on to describe some of her international experiences. She concludes with her wish for the pediatric hospice field to reexamine and reinforce the role of family in the care of sick children as well as her recommendation of watching the BBC television series’ that depicted some of the stories of families and patients in the Helen House.
Biographical Information: Interviewee
Frances Dominica trained in nursing at The Hospital for Sick Children, Great Ormond Street Hospital and the Middlesex Hospital during the 1960s. She then entered the Society of All Saints Sisters of the Poor, an Anglican religious community, and was elected Mother Superior in 1977. After one transitional experience she had working with the family of a chronically ill child, Sister Frances founded Helen House, the first pediatric hospice in the world, to provide a holistic family care service for those who were caring for children with life-shortening conditions. Sister Dominica also identified similar care needs for young adults, to which she responded by founding the Douglas House, with the objective of providing respite care for families of young adults progressive life-shortening conditions. Her trailblazing work in developing the field of pediatric palliative care has been internationally acclaimed and her models of care adopted in many countries including South Africa, Japan, and the United States. Sister Frances Dominica is a Deputy Lieutenant of the County of Oxfordshire, an honorary fellow of the U.K. Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and of The Royal College of Nursing. Sister Frances now works with homeless people.
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
2019-05-20
Collection Identifier
OH154-S09
Length
Approximately one hour and 2 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
Frances Dominica Oral History, OH154-S09, 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
Access to the audio recording for this oral history may be obtained via approval of the archivists at Becker Library. Contact the archives for more information (arb@wusm.wustl.edu).