Sometimes something as simple as a stuffed animal can ease the pain and suffering a lot more for a longer period than medication.

I'm not questioning the effectiveness of modern medicine by any means, and myself would rather donate for active treatments but a child with a teddy bear to hug/hold/squeeze will likely feel a tiny bit better than one with nothing when faced with pain, or loneliness for that matter.

Edit: I don't really have any evidence to back up my first statement other than a few anecdotes and personal experiences.