This Christmas, Starlight estimates over 100,000 children across the UK will spend the festive period in hospital, feeling scared and missing out on Christmas celebrations. No child wants to be stuck in hospital, away from their home and family, especially at Christmas. Throughout the festive season, Starlight provides hospitals with play resources, gifts, and live pantomimes to brighten a child’s stay and boost their well-being and resilience during treatment. We spoke exclusively to Dr Krutika Pau, Deputy CEO/Director of Children’s Services, Starlight Children’s Foundation UK.
Please elaborate on your initiative to help children at Starlight during Christmas.
Starlight is the UK’s leading charity for children’s play in hospitals and hospices. We work with other 600 health settings and ensure that every child can experience the power of play, supporting their mental and physical health during treatment and recovery from illness. Playing is vital to children’s wellbeing and resilience and it is the most natural and instinctive way for children to participate and communicate. Being in a hospital can be a very frightening experience for anyone, but for a child, it is even more so.
Depending on their age they often don’t understand what is happening to them, they are away from their familiar surroundings of home, friends, siblings and the wider family. Sometimes they may have to go through repeated invasive treatments which can be traumatising for the child and their family. Christmas is a particularly difficult time to be in hospital as families come to together to celebrate the holiday season and children will feel that they are missing out on these festivities. Starlight estimates over 100,000 children across the UK will spend the festive period in hospital, feeling scared and missing out on celebrations.
Our research has indicated that many hospitals lack the time, space and resources to provide play opportunities for babies, children and young people. That’s where Starlight steps in by providing incredible opportunities for children to share in moments of wonder, delight and laughter while they are in hospital over Christmas.
We have a live touring pantomime being performed across UK hospitals which is bringing joy to children, families and NHS staff who care for them. You can watch our pantomime ‘Aladdin’ on the Starlight website. We have also provided hundreds of boxes of play resources directly delivered to hospitals and hospices which are used by NHS staff to distract and entertain children while in hospital. Starlight Health Play Specialists are fully funded by us and are an additional resource provided to health settings to ensure children have a less traumatic hospital experience and are active participants in their care and treatment. Many children have long-term conditions and are in and out of hospital and we have sent out hundreds of Christmas presents to bring a little bit of magic, during this holiday season.
How can common people contribute to further strengthen your vision?
Starlight is the official Oxford Street charity partner this year. For just £10 you can sponsor a star on Oxford Street in London and help bring the magical power of play to children in hospitals all over the UK. All the money donated will go towards making a child’s stay in the hospital brighter this Christmas. Please visit www.starsforstarlight.org.uk and give the gift of play.
If you want to buy a gift or sponsor a star on someone else's behalf, add your email address when checking out, then download the eCard from your inbox and send it on.
Starlight also has a special online shop where you can help buy play items for seriously ill children. You can help buy everything from a cuddly teddy to an hour of a play specialist’s time at the Playstore. And every fear-fighting, boredom-busting, comfort-creating gift helps to bring joy to seriously ill children and their families. Shop here https://starsforstarlight.org.uk/collections/all
Members of the public can also become a regular donor and help support Starlight with a monthly or one-off payment https://support.starlight.org.uk/donate
If you want to take on a challenge and fundraise to support Starlight, you can take a look at the exciting challenges we have on offer, from running to bungee jumping! https://www.starlight.org.uk/how-you-can-help/take-on-a-challenge
What does it take to put these resources together?
We have a small but mighty team that works directly with children to understand what really matters to them when they are in hospital. We undertake research and ongoing evaluation to gain insight on the impact of our work and with the support of external partners we provide resources that make medical procedures less stressful and traumatic for babies, children and young people.
How do children respond to this initiative? Can you share any anecdotes?
Debbie (mum to Kitty who is age 16 but has been supported by Starlight for ten years) “We were so incredibly grateful for the presents Starlight provided in hospital as it really took the pressure off. We also just felt we weren’t forgotten. Starlight are amazing with the things they do for hospitals, they don't know where these boxes are going to end up but they know that someone is really going to need it, just like us. It meant she could still have some lovely gifts like play dough, Scrabble and even a karaoke microphone which was a huge hit! One I particularly remember was the Hungry Hippos game, she was so poorly but it put such a smile on her face as we played it on her bed. It’s the things like this that mean my memories of Kitty in hospital over Christmas aren’t entirely negative. Positive memories are what stand out and outshine all the horrible memories.”
Athena (mum to Penelope age 7) “Starlight has been an amazing resource for us. Penelope often needs distracting whist being prepared for surgery and chemotherapy and the play team’s bag of Starlight toys has been a massive help!”
Claire (mum to Lucy age 13) “If you’re lying in bed all day and only see doctors and nurses to do meds, it can be a really long day, and you feel worse for it. Having things like a Nintendo Switch from Starlight elevates their mood which is so important for children’s mental health.”
Are their families allowed to visit them during Christmas? Or is there a way for them to interact with them while they are hospitalised?
While families are allowed to visit their children during Christmas and NHS staff work hard to make the hospital a pleasant environment, we know that resources are very limited. Health professionals regularly give us feedback about the value and benefits of the resources provided by Starlight and what a difference it makes to children while in hospital.
What kind of psychological help and approach do children require from your end to be able to cope with this festive period, while trying to enjoy these resources?
Throughout the year we share our research, knowledge and expertise very widely with the healthcare community. We bring together ‘Starlight Health Play Champions’ to share best practice about the power of play in children’s healthcare journey. We publish reports and offer regular webinars which are free to attend, and recordings are made available on our website.
How does it impact you emotionally?
I am the Deputy CEO and Director of Children’s Services.
I have the privilege of regularly meeting children and families who are going through a very difficult and frightening period in their lives, where they have little control and a lack of certainty of what the future may look like. I am always inspired by the ability of the human spirit to be optimistic, resourceful and resilient. Children have the gift of understanding the here and now and finding fun and joy in this moment and I am fortunate to see this everyday.
