Tag: New Sick Kids

Edinburgh children supported by Amazon Dunfermline

The team at Amazon in Dunfermline has donated £3,000 worth of ride-along push cars to Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity.

Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity supports children facing potentially life-changing visits to the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People (RHCYP). The charity provides reassurance, distraction and fun for children during their hospital visits.

One way the charity provides distraction is through the ride along push cars for children’s travel around the hospital, including to operations and appointments. To support the initiative, Amazon in Dunfermline has donated 50 push cars worth £3,000.

Kate Dixon, from Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity, said: “We are grateful to welcome the donation of push cars from our friends at Amazon in Dunfermline.

“We know that the environment around us can have a profound effect on wellbeing and mood and that’s why we create a welcoming space with fun activities for families and children visiting the hospital.”

“Donations like this allow our team to reimagine the hospital environment, making it fit for even the most active imaginations. Thank you to the team at Amazon in Dunfermline for bringing such positivity to what can be a stressful and scary experience.”

The donation of push cars is part of Amazon’s ongoing support for Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity. Since 2023, Amazon has provided support to Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity by taking part in the charity’s ‘Kick Off’ football fundraising event, and with employees volunteering their time at the hospital. Last year, the team from Amazon in Dunfermline also donated kits which included toys and crafts.

Jamie Strain, General Manager at Amazon in Dunfermline added: “We have a longstanding relationship with the team at Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity and we’re pleased to once again support the team and bring joy to patients with the donation of push cars.”

Community donations and employee volunteering are just two of the ways Amazon supports the communities where it operates. Amazon co-founded The Big House Multibank in Fife with former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown to support to families in need.

The Multibank network has now donated more than 3 million surplus goods to over 400,000 families across Scotland, Wales, Greater Manchester, and London.

Amazon has supported more than 700,000 students across the UK with free STEM education programmes through Amazon Future Engineer and helps community organisations transport meals and other essentials to families in need through its pro bono logistics programme, Amazon Local Good.

Amazon partners with Comic Relief and is the official home of the charity’s iconic Red Nose.

Together with its employees, customers, and partners, Amazon has raised over £4.8 million to fund projects that support people across the UK, and around the world.

RHCYP Memorial Service

GREYFRIARS CHARTERIS CENTRE. THE PLEASANCE on 24th NOVEMBER

The RHCYP’s Memorial Service in Greyfriars Charteris Centre, 138/140 Pleasance, Edinburgh EH8 9RR, offers space for personal or shared reflection for those who’ve experienced the death of a child.

People of all ages, all beliefs or none, are most welcome:

https://ow.ly/f1o750TJzT5

Meerkat’s Out of the Bag! Cheeky creatures coming to Edinburgh Children’s Hospital

Children at an Edinburgh hospital will soon be learning important conservation lessons from some very unusual teachers – a mob of meerkats based in an outdoor classroom within the grounds!

The first programme of its kind outside of Australia, the meerkats from The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s (RZSS) Edinburgh Zoo will reside at NHS Lothian’s Royal Hospital for Children and Young People (RHCYP) and be at the heart of an extensive learning and discovery experience.

Thanks to a partnership between Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity (ECHC), NHS Lothian and RZSS, the inquisitive creatures will give young patients, particularly those staying long term, the opportunity to learn all about nature and the environment.

Edinburgh Zoo currently delivers a weekly programme of educational activities at the RHCYP, including projects on penguins, pandas and tigers, all of which encourage children to think about their place in the world and the importance of wildlife within it.

The meerkat enclosure will replicate their natural habitat and zookeepers from Edinburgh Zoo will care for them and provide meerkat educational sessions while on site.

Roslyn Neely, CEO of ECHC, said: “Some children are too unwell or have been in hospital for so long that they don’t have the opportunity to engage with the outdoors, or interact with animals.

“Many of the children who visit the hospital care passionately about nature and the environment. Our programme will allow them to learn from experts while getting up close to the best teachers of all – the meerkats themselves.

“The wellbeing benefits of engaging with animals and using nature in the healing process are well documented, and there’s great excitement within the hospital in anticipation of our furry friends arriving.”

David Field, chief executive of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, said, “Our conservation education programme has already been a great success and now we are taking this incredible next step by creating the only meerkat enclosure at a children’s hospital outside of Australia, making this a first in the UK and Europe.

“Being close to nature and animals can have a tremendous impact on people’s mental and physical health and wellbeing. We also know that people and communities are more likely to help protect nature when they have had the opportunity to connect with our natural world.

“We are really looking forward to bringing a group of meerkats to live at the hospital next year and seeing the impact this will have for the children and their families.”

Allister Short, Service Director, Women’s and Children’s, NHS Lothian, said: “We are really excited about this innovative programme coming to the RHCYP.

“Meerkats have been introduced into many children’s hospitals in Australia and this unique concept encourages children to learn and be inspired, particularly when they’re in hospital for long periods of time.

“We want to brighten up our patients’ days in an educational way and we know that the meerkats will be an exciting addition to the RHCYP.”

The programme is currently in the early stages of planning and it is hoped the meerkats will move into their new home at the RHCYP from 2024.

Children in hospital’s Christmas Wishes redirected to people of Edinburgh

Letters to Santa from children in hospital are being redirected to the people of Edinburgh this Christmas.

Children at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People (RHCYP) have shared their heart-breaking wishes, but sadly Santa alone can’t make these wishes come true.

Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity (ECHC) has stepped in to ask the people of Edinburgh to help bring a little magic to families who won’t be at home for Christmas this year.

Macy, aged 4, is one of the children whose letter to Santa has been sent to homes across the city. She was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia in January this year and has since been receiving treatment at the RHCYP.

Mum, Gillian, said: “Due to Macy’s chemotherapy treatment, she has lost her lovely blonde hair which she has found really hard. Her wish this year is for her hair to grow back long enough so she can put it in a ponytail just like mine.

“We are also hoping that she will feel a little bit better as last Christmas she was very poorly. She had frequent colds prior to her diagnosis and just wasn’t in the mood to play with any of her toys.

“Throughout Macy’s treatment, the care and kindness from her nurses, all of the NHS Lothian teams we’ve met and the support from ECHC, as well as lots of other charities, has been phenomenal. It really has made our hospital journey that little bit easier and we are so very grateful to all those who have stood beside us during the most difficult times.”

ECHC supports the work of the RHCYP and NHS Lothian. The charity’s new ‘Redirected Letters to Santa’ appeal is asking supporters to make a gift to support families facing a hospital stay this December.

Pippa Johnston, Director at ECHC, said: “The reality is that some children and young people have to be in hospital over Christmas, so what should be a time of magic and laughter becomes a time of worry – for them and their families.

“While we can’t take away their pain, we can deliver some happiness. Together with our friends in the NHS, we work hard to make sure no child or young person misses out on the joy of the festive season.

“You don’t need a sleigh, or reindeer, or a white beard, but some letters will need more than Santa’s help. We are asking the people of Edinburgh to make a donation to help deliver magic and make Christmas in hospital that little bit easier for children and families.”

To make a donation to ECHC’s ‘Redelivered Letters to Santa’ appeal, visit:

www.echcharity.org/donate

Be prepared for Road Works when travelling to RIE and New Sick Kids

If you are travelling to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh or Royal Hospital of Children and Young People for an appointment, please be aware of road works which are due to commence Monday 17 October 2022, for 24 Weeks as this will affect your travel time to your appointment.

The road works will result in 2-way Temporary Lights on Old Dalkeith Road near Little France Campus. The lights will move as work progresses from the campus up towards Shawfair Park and Ride/Train station. This will take a break for 2 weeks from Friday 23 December 2022 until Friday 6 January 2023.

We have been informed that this will result in a minimum of 20 minutes delay up to 50 minutes at peak times.

It has been suggested that people travelling to these sites should instead travel via Gilmerton Road, Edinburgh which runs parallel to Dalkeith Road, to access the Campus, as this may limit time impact.

STOP: Mum issues safety warning after toddler suffered 27% burns

A mum whose daughter fell into a scalding bath when she was just three-years-old has urged other parents to be aware of the dangers of burns.

Little Courtney, now seven, spent years battling back to full health after she suffered devastating burns to more than a quarter of her body.

The schoolgirl, from Kirkcaldy, had to undergo numerous painful procedures and physiotherapy at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People (RHCYP) in Edinburgh following the accident.

Now on “Burns Awareness Day” (12th October), her mum, Chloe Abrahams, is warning other parents to be aware of potential burns hazards around the home.

Chloe said: “I would never have thought that tap water could burn so badly.

“The pain Courtney went through just from lifting her into a different position on the hospital bed still breaks my heart when I think about it. Seeing my daughter in that state was the worst thing I’ve ever been through.”

Courtney’s accident happened in 2018. She was reaching for a toy when she tumbled into a bath that was filling with scalding water.

Chloe said: “We heard horrendous screams and found that Courtney had fallen into a scalding hot bath. I quickly scooped her out of the bath, stripped her clothes off and wrapped her in a wet towel. She was covered in massive bulging blisters and we rushed her to hospital. But at this point, I didn’t realise how much damage had already been done.”

Courtney was immediately transferred to the high dependency unit in the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People (RHCYP) where she was sent to theatre every few days to get her burns scrubbed and redressed to prevent any infections.

Her little thighs and feet received the worst damage as her socks and pants had held the scalding water close to her skin.

After being released from hospital, Courtney’s feet had to stay bandaged for over a month, meaning that she was struggling to walk for up to two months.

She received regular physiotherapy alongside numerous other appointments for over a year to aid her recovery and to help with the inevitable scarring.

Chloe added: “I honestly can’t thank all the amazing doctors and nurses at the RHCYP enough. Courtney is now seven and is doing great. She has lots of scars but she doesn’t let them define her.

“I would like other families to know that you can turn the water temperature down on your boiler. If we had known that – things might have been different for us.”

According to the Burns and Plastics Clinic at the RHCYP, burns are the most common household injury with over 7,000 children suffering serious burns or scalds in the UK in 2021.

As Halloween and bonfire night approaches Rosie Bainsfair, Burns & Plastics Nurse Specialist at the RHCYP, said: “Many of the children we see at the RHCYP in Edinburgh are injured in accidents around the house, involving very common things like hot drinks, irons or hair straighteners.

“If your child has a burn or scald, follow this simple ‘STOP’ first aid advice:

“Strip clothes, jewellery or nappies off (unless they are stuck to the skin).

“Turn on a cold tap or shower and run the burn under cool water for 20 minutes whilst keeping the child warm. Do not use ice.

“Organise medical assistance – attend A and E or dial 999.

“Protect the burn with cling film, provide painkillers and keep the child warm.”

To find out more about how you can prevent burns from happening at home, please visit the Royal Society For The Prevention Of Accidents website here. 

Children’s Book Tour brings stories to life at Edinburgh Children’s Hospital

The Scottish Friendly Children’s Book Tour brought a carnival-themed festival to Edinburgh Children’s Hospital on Sunday 31 July.

Bestselling author Lari Don told stories of Neringa and the Sea Dragon and Nana Miriam and the Hippo from her magical collection Fierce, Fearless and Free: Girls in Myths and Legends from Around the World, illustrated by Eilidh Muldoon.

There were also opportunities for the children to get involved with story-making exercises. 

The Scottish Friendly Children’s Book Tour is supported by Scottish Friendly and organised by Scottish Book Trust, the national charity transforming lives through reading and writing.

During the pandemic, the tour has been delivered virtually throughout classrooms in Scotland, with educational watch on demand video content viewed over 100,000 times. 

Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust said: “Bringing stories to young people in hospital is so important: it can inspire imaginations and improve wellbeing.

“Scottish Book Trust is delighted that the Scottish Friendly Children’s Book Tour returned to Edinburgh Children’s Hospital for a fun-packed festival. Lari Don is a wonderful storyteller and we know the young people and their families will have enjoyed her fantastic tales.” 

Fiona O’Sullivan, Director of Children’s Wellbeing at Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity, said: “Storytelling is so powerful; being transported to another time, place or galaxy can be so brilliantly beneficial for children when they are unwell.

“It was wonderful to welcome Scottish Book Trust back to the hospital in person. Their stories brought fun and distraction to children and young people and filled the wards and waiting areas with lots of smiles and laughter!” 

Lari Don is a children’s writer, brought up in the North East of Scotland, now living in Edinburgh.

She has written adventure novels, picture books and collections of myths and legends; most of her books are inspired by her love of traditional tales and Scotland’s landscape.

Lari is currently having to learn how to create and share stories around the limitations of long covid. 

Hearts & Minds receive £21,605 from People’s Postcode Trust

Grant will support Clowndoctor visits at Edinburgh’s Royal Hospital for Children & Young People

The Clowndoctors will be delivering smiles every week at the Royal Hospital for Children & Young People thanks to support of the People’s Postcode Trust.

The People’s Postcode Trust is a grant-giving charity funded by players of People’s Postcode Lottery. Our organisation received £21,605 from the Trust to enable us to deliver weekly Clowndoctor visits at the Royal Hospital for Children & Young People, Edinburgh (formerly The Sick Kids)

Hearts & Minds believe that meaningful human connection is vital for wellbeing, and that this is especially important when we are at our most vulnerable. Through the art of therapeutic clowning Hearts & Minds Clowndoctors connect with children and their families who might be facing anxiety, stress, and feelings of isolation while the child is receiving treatment in hospital.

Recently the Clowndoctors were able to visit Robbie at the RHCYP, where he has been for some weeks. Robbie knows the Clowndoctors well from seeing them at the Royal Blind School, Edinburgh and he calls them his friends.

The Clowndoctors were delighted to visit him in hospital and play his favourite game of “BOO!’ Dr Mousse also recorded a special message for Robbie which he has saved on his phone so he can listen to as often as he likes.

Richard Dalgleish, Robbie’s dad, said: “We wanted to say a big thank you to Dr Mousse and Dr Cous Cous for taking the time to say hello to Robbie when we met the Clowndoctors at the Royal, Edinburgh a few weeks back.

“Even though Robbie is far from well, it was lovely for Robbie to hear from people he knows well from the Sick Kids and from visits to the Royal Blind School. 

“Robbie has been in hospital now for 6 weeks and has had 3 operations. The Clowndoctors have visited him regularly and their visits have given him a much-needed boost. Thank you for all the work that you do.”

Rachel Colles, Joint Artistic lead at Hearts & Minds, commented: “It has been a privilege to visit Robbie over many years. We started visiting him when he was a pupil at the Royal Blind School in Edinburgh.

“We built up a great relationship playing with Robbie’s love of slapstick, surprises and words. Robbie loves to send the Clowndoctors flying around and surprising them with a big boo. We felt we had a strong and special connection.

“When Robbie left school, we did not see him anymore, so it was a real pleasure to bump into him and his parents at the hospital and were very happy to arrange a couple of visits on his adult ward. It was great to get the opportunity to visit him in this new setting and be welcomed by the staff on the ward where our visits were seen as a bit of colour and change in their day.

“As Clowndoctors these long-term relationships are very valuable to us and makes me personally very happy when we see children and young people who we know so well and be a positive part of their experience of health care settings.”

Sean Donnelly, Interim CEO, Hearts & Minds said: “We are delighted to receive this funding from People’s Postcode Trust to allow us to continue with much needed weekly Clowndoctor visits to the young people at the hospital in Edinburgh.

“These visits will deliver much needed laughter, fun and imagination to children who face anxiety while undergoing treatment for their illness.”

Please click the links for more information on People’s Postcode Trust www.postcodetrust.org.uk and People’s Postcode Lottery www.postcodelottery.co.uk

New Sick Kids celebrates 1st Birthday

NHS Lothian’s Royal Hospital for Children and Young People is ready to celebrate a very special birthday today – Wednesday 23 March – marking one year since the world-class facilities fully opened.

The services moved to the new site from the old ‘Sick Kids’ gradually, with outpatients arriving in July 2020, CAMHS in January 2021 and finally the remaining services including inpatients and A&E in March that same year.

The building and facilities provide a world-class centre for child healthcare, enabling NHS Lothian to continue to build on the excellent reputation for trusted, quality care delivered by dedicated and expert teams.

To commemorate the birthday, activities have been arranged with both patients and staff in mind, and with generous support from a range of partners including Edinburgh and Lothians Health Foundation, Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity and Ronald McDonald House.

This includes the distribution of birthday-themed craft boxes with decorations for all wards; a birthday-themed projection on to the building; a drop-in photo booth; a birthday party with stalls, activities and live performances; complementary therapy & pampering sessions for families staying at Ronald McDonald House and treats for all staff which will distributed across each ward. 

Allister Short, Service Director, Women’s and Children’s Services, NHS Lothian said, “The Royal Hospital for Children and Young people offers one of the most modern and best-designed children’s healthcare facilities in the world.

“I hope over the last twelve months, both patients and their families have been able to see what this means and the positive impact it has both for patient care and wellbeing.”

For the Simpson family from Torphichen near Bathgate, the facilities on offer not only help to provide a degree or normality but make a huge difference to the happiness of daughter Robyn.

Mum Michelle explained that the family have been in and out of hospital with Robyn ever since she was born, with the longest stay being four months.

She said, “It is really hard to have a child that is unwell. It places a real strain on you both physically, mentally and emotionally. Coming to the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People makes things just that bit easier – it’s bright, spacious and airy – feeling more like a hotel than a hospital.

“There are so many spaces especially for children and so many activities that they can get involved in – from art and craft to music. Seeing Robyn happy, even though she is in hospital, is incredible. It enables her to be a child rather than just a patient.”

Allister said, “The facilities on offer across the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People are truly incredible, however the services wouldn’t be anything without our talented and dedicated staff.

“Day-in-day-out they deliver so much to ensure the children and young people attending the hospital receive the very best care and support.”

Michelle added, “I can’t thank the staff enough. They offer so much support and reassurance as well as incredible care. It really does help to make it feel like a home from home whenever we’re here.”

For more information on The Royal Hospital for Children and Young People and the facilities that are available visit – children.nhslothian.scot. 

To keep up to date with the latest news from across Lothian’s Children’s Services, follow them on social media – LothianChildHealth on Facebook and @LothianChildren on Twitter. 

Meanwhile, demolition of the old Sick Kids continues …

Marvel-lous! Superheroes abseil down New Sick Kids Hospital as a Christmas surprise

Children and young people at Edinburgh’s children’s hospital were given a Marvel-lous Christmas surprise when a team of costume-clad superheroes scaled down the side of the building.

The daredevil troop of Batman, Thanos, Spiderman and the Joker descended the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People, much to the delight of unsuspecting children, families and staff watching through the ward windows and from the ground below.

The thrill-seeking team did two abseils from different parts of the hospital to ensure as many children and young people as possible had a chance to view the spectacle, and even staged a nail-biting superhero versus villain waterfight while suspended in mid-air.

Organised by Edinburgh Rope Access in aid of Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity (ECHC), the fearless feat is raising money to bring comfort and joy to seriously ill children in hospital this Christmas and all year round. So far, the heroes have raised an incredible £531.

Nicky Erskine, managing director at Edinburgh Rope Access dedicated the gutsy stunt to all those at the hospital who fight their own brave battles on a daily basis.

Nicky said: “Abseiling down the side of a hospital isn’t for the faint-hearted but it is nothing compared to the challenges that children and young people staying here face with such courage every day.

“They are the real superheroes so we wanted to do our bit to spread some Christmas cheer, bring lots of smiles to those on the wards and raise funds for an incredibly worthy cause while we were at it.”

Victoria Buchanan from ECHC said: “Every year, we at ECHC work hard to bring the joy and magic of Christmas to children and young people in hospital by creating a fun-filled living advent calendar around the wards with a new surprise activity every day.

“We were determined to make our first Christmas in our new home the biggest yet – and the superhero abseil has definitely taken the wow factor to the next level. It was wonderful to see so many children’s faces light up when their favourite heroic character dropped by their bedroom window and gave them a wave!

“We are enormously grateful to the team from Edinburgh Rope Access for being such intrepid supporters. For those facing a hospital stay at this time of year, special events like this really do go a long way in spreading happiness and lifting everyone’s spirits.”

To support Edinburgh Rope Access’ fundraising efforts, visit: 

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/edinburghsickkidsera

To find out more about ECHC’s Light Up Christmas appeal and to donate, visit:

www.echcharity.org/christmas