Our Work
The Benjamin King Foundation was born from loss. But it is sustained by something else entirely — by the belief that human connection, honestly expressed, has the power to heal, to teach, and to change systems.
We are Jamie Thomas King and Tamara Podemski.
As performers, storytellers and public speakers, and as people who have walked through profound grief and found a way to thrive — we bring a rare combination of lived experience and professional skill to everything we do.
Our work is heart-led. We meet people where they are.
Sharing Our Story
At the heart of everything we do is the simple act of showing up and telling the truth. We speak to parent groups, support networks, community organisations and healthcare teams — sharing our story, listening to others, and helping people feel less alone in their hardest moments. This is where the Foundation began, and it remains the most important thing we do.
Communication Workshops
Jamie's interest in patient safety science has led him into formal academic training and teaching. He completed "Improving Patient Safety with Human Factors" at Johns Hopkins University, and has gone on to develop his own approach to teaching these skills to clinical teams — drawing on meditation and improv theatre exercises to help healthcare professionals build the human skills that save lives.
Between 2019 and 2025, he served as a core faculty member with the European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, designing and delivering four intensive three-day masterclass workshops for healthcare professionals across that period.
He continues to refine a distinctive approach to one of healthcare's hardest challengess — how to build genuine empathy and compassion between patients and providers.
Watch Jamie teaching at ESAIC →
Learn more about the ESAIC Masterclass
→
Growing the Foundation
We are building something bigger.
The Benjamin King Foundation is expanding its reach to support more bereaved parents, develop more healthcare partnerships, and create more opportunities for the kind of honest, human conversation that changes lives.
If you would like to support our work, collaborate with us, or simply connect — we would love to hear from you.