Ladybug House - Pediatric Palliative Care/Hospice

As a nonprofit, the goal of Ladybug House is to build and operate a freestanding, community-based palliative care home in Seattle. Our plan is to offer a place for respite and renewal to families and their children with life-limiting illnesses. Ladybug House will consist of an interdisciplinary team of healthcare professionals, support staff, and volunteers who provide 24/7 care and support. This care will be provided with no out of pocket cost, in a caring homelike environment. When your parents die, you become an orphan; lose your spouse, you are a widow[er]; but lose your child? There is no name for that. It is an unthinkable, unspeakable loss. Suzanne Gwynn, a registered nurse in Seattle, has worked intensely with children and young adults and their families in oncology and hospice care for over 30 years. Watching families live with the unimaginable day after day has compelled Suzanne to dream of a palliative care home; a safe place for them to land. She calls this place Ladybug House.