PODCAST Episode

What Dying Children Teach Doctors About Living

August 19, 2026

About Our Guest(s)

Dr. Dan Falco was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. He was raised in the Catholic faith but found that his beliefs were more in line with Protestantism whilst in Chicago for medical school. He married one of his best friends from high school and they have 4 wonderful children, Joshua, Lauren, Cole, and Jack. They gained two more children when their two oldest got married to Briah and Ryan. They moved to Sacramento in 2001 after his training at LPCH at Stanford. He became the director of the PICU in 2011 and handed over the reins of leadership in 2017.

When something tragic happened in the PICU, he found himself writing about it, unsure if he was writing to remember the events or in order to forget. He went through some burnout in 2016 that led him to a Christian counselor who helped him see that he was suffering from PTSD. In the course of counseling, she helped him recognize a question was sitting on the margins of his life, undermining his faith: “If God is good and all powerful, then why do children suffer.?”

Although he never got an answer to that question, he did hear God say, “It’s not for you to know why children suffer. I know they’re suffering; they’re my children too. It’s your job to take care of them. I will only promise you my presence.”

When he went back and read all the stories he had written, he realized they were all about how he experienced God in the tragedy. That’s when he set out to make a book about his experiences.

2026 Midwest Fall Conference
September 25, 2026 – September 27, 2026
Maranatha Bible Conference Center

At this year’s Midwest Fall Conference, we will hear from two excellent speakers: Kristin Collier, MD and Bob Mason, MDiv. Dr. Collier will speak to us about “Christian Courage” in healthcare, highlighting key issues in bioethics and a distinctly Christian response. Rev. Mason will speak to us about the ethical basis for spiritual care in a healthcare setting, as well as the benefits for patient outcomes.

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GMHC
The world needs your healing hands—and your heart. Join thousands of healthcare professionals at the Global Missions Health Conference, November 12th through 14th in Louisville. Be equipped. Be inspired. Register now at https://MedicalMissions.com.

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CMDA Student Ministries Information

On this episode:

If God is good and God is provident, why do children die? It's the question every parent in a pediatric ICU eventually asks — and the one Dr. Dan Falco has spent twenty-five years sitting with rather than answering.