Charity-Funded Sensory Items Bring Comfort to Young Patients Thanks to money raised from the Wishing Well on the Children’s Day Care Unit, children receiving treatment at the Children’s Day Care Unit are now benefitting from sensory items that were purchased by our Trust Charity. The Charity were able to provide the Day Care Unit with items such as bubble tanks, light projectors and sensory chew necklaces for its young patients. These sensory items are located in the dedicated play area in this unit, a space that offers a comforting, child-friendly environment where children can have fun and feel more at ease in a clinical setting. These items have also helped the dedicated Play Specialists create a calm and relaxing environment that help distract our youngest patients from the feelings of anxiousness, nerves and pain that can occur while being in hospital. One of the Trust’s young patients Meadow can be seen in the photo interacting with the bubble tank while they are being looked after in the Children’s Day Care Unit. Meadow’s parents expressed how much Meadow enjoyed playing with the toys in the play area and how it helped calm her nerves before her operation. Meadow was not the only young patient who found the sensory items to be a welcome distraction from the anxiety of being in a hospital setting. The Children’s Day Care Unit dedicated Play Specialists help support and guide our young patients through their medical procedures through play and emotional support. Play Specialist, Miriam, spoke to us about the importance of sensory items and how it improves the hospital experience for our youngest patients: "We are very grateful to LGT charity for providing these wonderful sensory items which have transformed our hospital environment into a more welcoming, child-friendly, and calmer space for our patients, helping us make each hospital stay a little brighter! The bubble tank is definitely a favourite on the ward and many children are mesmerised by the bubbles! Sensory resources like the bubble tank and the light projector not only create a calming atmosphere but also play a vital role in supporting children’s emotional regulation. They provide gentle distraction during waiting times, but also distraction from worries and anxiety. These items are especially valuable in supporting our neurodiverse patients, helping them to self-regulate and feel more at ease in what can often be a stressful environment". Miriam showing Meadow a Light Projector Purchased from The Wishing Well Fund Caleb was also another young patient who was being looked after at the Children’s Day Care Unit. Caleb’s mother spoke about how Miriam gave a tour of the Day Care Unit to Caleb prior to his procedure and how helpful she had been in easing Caleb’s worries. Caleb originally came into the hospital felling anxious, but Miriam gave tour of the hospital are and showed off our dedicated the Play Specialist Team are. In the end, the sensory items helped Caleb have a positive experience. Caleb can be seen in the photo below with one of our projection lamps. We are grateful to Meadow, Caleb and their parents for allowing us to share their story and experience at our Trust. Our Charity takes great pride in enhancing the experience of the Trust’s youngest patients, as well as supporting our incredible Play Team. If you're feeling inspired by this story and want to support our Charity, please contact us at [email protected]. For more information on our charity please visit our website: Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust Charity