The orthopedic surgeon sounded so confident. Lindsay Norton's scoliosis was getting worse, constricting her lungs. Straightening the spine would improve the 13-year-old's breathing "Then I got home, and I thought, 'huh?'" said Diane Norton, who cares for her disabled daughter at home. She turned to PACT. PACT ? the Pediatric Advanced Care Team at Children's Hospital Boston and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute ? has worked with the Norton family for nine years. The doctors, nurses, and social workers, trained in the relatively new specialty of pediatric palliative care, manage complex pain and symptoms while supporting families as they navigate bewildering medical terrain, set goals of care, and make tough decisions that match those goals.
