Legacy Photo-narrative Study

Children with medical complexity (CMC) live full meaningful lives that are often short. CMC and their families experience substantial distress, poor mental health, and low emotional well-being. Existing research and our prior studies suggest that legacy, defined as the summation of qualities and experiences that form the child's enduring presence, can be a resource for actionable appraisal of and coping with stressful life experiences. Photo-narratives are a novel intervention that facilitate family sharing of images to tell stories about everyday experiences related to their child's quality-of-life and personhood. In our prior studies, families reported that photo-narratives were a simple, easy way to meaningfully connect and had the potential to be an important part of their child's legacy. What remains poorly understood, however, is how photo-narratives might impact family-centered outcomes. This study aims to and evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and potential impact of photo-narratives in a pilot randomized controlled trial.