It’s the Little Things that have the Biggest Impact
written by Georgie Abbott
At the start of September we celebrated all our incredible young heart warriors and their families at our annual Children’s Heart Surgery Fund Superhero Walk. It was heart-warming to see children dressed up as their favourite superheroes, including doctors and nurses who have looked after them while they recovered from heart surgery.
What I love about this event is that we create a mythical superhero world for our heart families where they can forget about time in hospital and shine a light on their bravery.
Today I got to spent time with a real-life superhero, Emma, one of the Play Specialists for the Cardiac Ward at the Leeds Children’s Hospital.
As usual Emma greeted me with a smile and started her day by saying good morning to all the patients and families on the ward, bringing them fun and laughter in what can be a daunting environment. We met a gorgeous girl, age 10 years old, who Emma knows well because she has been on the ward for a total of over 3 months this year.
Her mum was standing by her child’s bedside and you could tell she also enjoyed Emma’s company. They clapped and laughed together as Emma sang her daughter’s favourite songs.
Next we went to say hello to a beautiful baby who was still in hospital weeks after her recent heart surgery. She was adorable and barely looked bigger than her Katie Bear teddy propped upright at the end of her cot.
A Play Specialist is a member of staff on the ward who uses play as a therapeutic tool to help children understand their illness and treatment and works with other healthcare professionals to prepare children for treatment and engage them during difficult procedures.
Emma told me she spends a lot of time with babies on the ward as it’s so important to help their development from an early age. She held out a small knitted octopus so the baby could practice grabbing the tenticles to help strengthen her fine motor skills. It was clear the baby loved Emma’s company as she started kicking her little legs in excitement.
In the next bed was a baby boy, just less than a year old, standing up in his cot and giving us all a cheeky smile, like he was planning an escape to a kids only adventure!
When his parents said they were expecting his surgery to take place in a few hours, Emma straight away offered them use of the playroom and access to more toys. His mum told us he had been up since 4.30am this morning which had been challenging as all children need to fast during the day of surgery, so she was very welcoming of Emma’s support.
She also told us what it was like to turn up at hospital in an emergency situation as the first time they came to the ward her little boy was only a few weeks old and she didn’t pack any toiletries.
She couldn’t thank our Children’s Heart Surgery Fund Family Support Workers enough as they gave her a package of toiletries, including a toothbrush and toothpaste. She said having a shower and brushing her teeth in what was a very stressful situation gave her a huge sense of relief.
Spending time with Emma this morning has really made me believe it’s the smallest things in life that have the biggest impact.
Emma’s wish list of new things for the ward includes items for tiny babies, including:
- little rattles
- black and white pattern books
- comforters
- blankets
These items wouldn’t require huge amounts of funding, but would all have the ability to help babies with their development skills so they can reach their full potential.
If you would like to find out more about how your company could work in partnership with Children’s Heart Surgery Fund and help us make Emma’s wish list a reality, I would love to hear from you. Contact us at corporate@chsf.org.uk
Georgie Abbott
Corporate Partnerships Manager
georgie.abbott@chsf.org.uk
Recruiting Corporate Partners across Yorkshire, The Humber, North East Lincolnshire and North Derbyshire who want to help improve the lives of children born with congenital heart defects.
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