2012 Award for excellence in Paediatric Palliative Care

In the prestigious setting of the Acquario Romano, in the presence of over three hundred conference participants,  the prize "No Pain for Children Award for Excellence in Pediatric Palliative Care" for the 2012 edition was assigned to Dr. Franca Benini.

Dr. Franca Benini is an Intensivist Paediatrician, Anaesthetist, Pharmacologist, Medical Director at the Department of Pediatrics, University of Padua, Head of the Centro Cure Palliative e Terapia Antalgica Pediatrica / l'Hospice Pediatrico of Padua.

The Award was assigned for the following reasons:

• For having known with stubborn determination, with sensitivity and a spirit of sacrifice how to involve colleagues and associates to provide, to those in need, competent medical answers, surpassing the objective difficulties and misunderstandings which too often unjustified have impeded, and still impede the 'adoption of the most appropriate solutions to the treatment of pain;
• For having conceived and studied, the scientific program of IMPaCCT the International Meeting on Palliative Care for Children, which was promoted by our Association in Trento in 2006 and that allowed for the subsequent three years, also with the support of Maruzza Lefebvre D'Ovidio Foundation, to establish the EAPC Task Force for Palliative Care in Children, milestone of pediatric palliative care in Europe;

• And yet for having made available years of her undisputed professionalism and her special human energy to improve the quality of life of children suffering from diseases, even incurable, while reserving attention to the problems of parents and their families.
• For all this, but above all for having taught many that Children, - and especially sick children - are not small adults, but great men.

 "Matilda e Beatrice" by Matteo Boato is the work chosen for the prize of the first edition.