Dr. Natalie King never imagined she’d find her calling in palliative care.
“I like to think the field kind of found me, so to speak,” she told the Denver Catholic.
While pursuing her residency in internal medicine, Dr. King’s ability to navigate difficult conversations with families in the intensive care unit caught the attention of a cardiologist, who connected her with a palliative care doctor in training. The connection sparked something profound.
“Everything she was saying was what I’m really passionate about. I love the geriatric population, enjoy being in the intensive care unit with difficult medical situations, and feel drawn to caring for cancer patients and people with serious illnesses,” she explained.
Palliative care focuses on managing the symptoms, stress and side effects of serious illnesses such as cancer, dementia, heart failure and chronic diseases. For Dr. King, it became a way to advocate for the dignity of life at its most vulnerable stages.
“Our field is all about helping people live the best life possible, for as long as they can, while managing the challenges of their illness,” she said.
Her professional journey took a pivotal turn in 2016, when she accepted her first job as a palliative care doctor in Denver. Two months later, physician-assisted suicide became legal in the state.
“I was so shocked. I had seen Archbishop Aquila’s messages about it, heard it preached in homilies, and thought, ‘Of course, this won’t pass.’ But it did,” she recalled. “If I’d known, I wouldn’t have moved to Colorado. It felt like a direct challenge to everything I stood for as a doctor and as a Catholic.”
Thankfully, Dr. King worked within a Catholic healthcare system that opted out of assisted suicide. Yet, the issue still arose in conversations with patients and colleagues. It compelled her to dig deep and define what it meant to practice “pro-life, pro-dignity palliative care.”
Along the way, she found mentors like Dr. Alan Rastrelli, a deacon and palliative care physician, who helped her navigate the complexities of her field. Together, they spoke at parishes, schools and conferences about end-of-life care from a Catholic perspective.
“It was clear that people had a lot of misunderstandings and mistrust around the health care system, especially hospice,” she noted. “It made me realize the need for more education.”
Driven by this need, Dr. King pursued a master’s degree in ethics from Ohio State University, where she worked with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to survey pro-life leaders on their comfort level with end-of-life issues. The results were sobering.
“Many felt very uncomfortable and uninformed,” she said. “If diocesan leaders feel this way, how can they effectively educate people in the pews?”
This insight inspired her to write a practical guide for patients and families navigating serious illness while adhering to Catholic teachings. Now, Intensive Caring: A Practical Handbook for Catholics about Serious Illness and End-of-Life Care is available for purchase.
“I wanted it to provide meaningful guidance and help people feel peaceful about their health care decisions,” she explained.
Dr. King’s passion for integrating her faith into her work is apparent.
“I’m a translator,” she said. “I take what I’ve studied in Church documents and implement it at the bedside to really love this person to the end of their earthly life and into the next life God has called them to. Palliative care is a pro-life alternative, and we need to champion it.”
Her journey hasn’t been without challenges. She’s faced professional obstacles, including a recent job rejection because of her pro-life stance.
“It’s disheartening,” she admitted. “But it’s also a reminder of why this work matters so much.”
Dr. King encourages pro-life medical students to consider careers in end-of-life care.
“It’s an area of great need where you can profoundly impact lives,” she said.
Her own story, rooted in faith, resilience and a deep commitment to human dignity, is a testament to the transformative power of aligning one’s vocation with God’s call.
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To learn more about Dr. King’s work, visit her website. To purchase Dr. King’s book, visit Ave Maria Press’ website.
Note: The views presented in this article were Dr. Natalie King’s personal views and not those of her employer.
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