NSGR - Hope as Medicine: The Role of a Wish in Pediatric Neurosciences
At the end of this presentation, participants should be able to:
- Describe the mission and impact of Make-A-Wish Foundation and its role in improving emotional well-being, resilience, and hope for children with critical illnesses.
- Review current peer-reviewed evidence regarding the psychosocial and medical impact of wishes on children with complex neurological and neuromuscular diagnoses and their families.
- Identify common neuroscience-related diagnoses that may qualify for a wish and recognize opportunities for earlier referral and family engagement within the clinical setting.
- Discuss strategies to increase awareness, interdisciplinary collaboration, and timely wish referrals to support holistic, family-centered care at Phoenix Children's.
About the presenters:
Kara Stuart Lewis, MD, FAAN, FAHS, FCNS
Child Neurologist and Medical Director, Fetal Neurology |
Barrow Neurological Institute at Phoenix Children’s
Kara Stuart Lewis, MD, FAAN, FAHS, FCNS, is a child neurologist and medical director of Fetal Neurology at the Barrow Neurological Institute at Phoenix Children's. Dr. Lewis has extensive training in the field of pediatric and fetal neurology. She is skilled in diagnosing and treating a wide range of neurologic conditions that affect children, including headaches and migraines, as well as cerebral palsy and other conditions that develop before and after birth. Dr. Lewis earned her undergraduate degree from Pomona College in Claremont, California, and her medical degree from the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson, Arizona. She completed her postgraduate training in Phoenix, Arizona, including her residencies in pediatrics at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center and in child neurology at Barrow Neurological Institute. A native of the Phoenix area, Dr. Lewis has called Arizona home since returning for medical school. She joined the Phoenix Children's team when a joint program was developed with Barrow Neurological Institute in June 2011. She is proud of the clinical care, education, research and advocacy services that she and her colleagues provide for their patients. Dr. Lewis is a member of the national Make-A-Wish America medical advisory board, which has given her the chance to travel and meet people from a wide range of medical fields with the goal of caring for children with life-threatening conditions.
Kristen McElliott, FNP
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation | Phoenix Children's
Kristen McElliott, FNP is a Family Nurse Practitioner in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Phoenix Children's. She is passionate about the comprehensive care management of children with complex neuromuscular conditions and rehabilitation needs, with a strong focus on improving quality of life, functional independence, and family-centered outcomes. Her work is grounded in patient advocacy, interdisciplinary collaboration, and helping children achieve their highest level of participation and independence across home, school, community, and adaptive recreation settings.
Kristen has received specialized training in evidence-based selective motor control assessment tools through the General Movements Assessment Trust and the Cerebral Palsy Foundation for infant neurological examination and the early detection of cerebral palsy.
A Washington State native turned Arizona desert dweller, Kristen moved to Phoenix in 2007 to begin her career at Phoenix Children's as a Critical Care Float bedside nurse before returning to school to earn her Master of Science in Nursing. She is board certified in Family Medicine, is an active member of the American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine, and serves on the National Care Pathways Committee.
Kristen currently volunteers as an Arizona Chapter Medical Advisor for Make-A-Wish and leads the Phoenix Children’s Make-A-Wish Dashboard Initiative, a multidisciplinary effort focused on improving the identification and referral of medically eligible children across Arizona. In recognition of her dedication to partnership, advocacy, and compassionate care, she was honored as the inaugural recipient of the Pediatric Partner Award from Make-A-Wish Arizona.
Her approach to care is rooted in empathy, collaboration with a deep commitment to helping more Arizona children and families experience the hope, strength, and joy that a wish can provide.