Two Journeys, One Path — Parents Hold the Key to PICU Recovery: WFPICCS 2026 Preview

A collaboration with WFPICCS (the World Federation of Pediatric Intensive and Critical Care Societies) showcasing the talks you can look forward to at WFPICCS 2026 in Melbourne, September 27–30. This episode features two world experts on recovery after critical illness — Professor Debbie Long (Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane) and Professor Anne-Sylvie Ramelet (University of Lausanne, Switzerland) — ahead of their presentations on post-intensive care syndrome in pediatrics (PICS-p) and patient and family experiences. We don't discharge children into a healthcare system, we discharge them into a family — and child and parent recovery unfold together, influencing each other every step of the way. Deb and Anne-Sylvie offer remarkable insights on how parent PTSD drives child PTSD (and not the other way around), why perception of threat to life matters more than severity of illness, who's most at risk and how we might actually screen for it, what helps families survive the wake-up and sedation weaning, and how we support the growing group of children with chronic critical illness through transitions to the ward, home and eventually adult care. Hint: kindness, humanity and a smile go further than you think... Hosted by Dr. Karen Choong (McMaster Children's Hospital, Canada) and Dr. Greg Kelly (Sydney Children's Hospital Westmead, Australia)