Blessings with balloon twisting under the epidemic
For the recent two years, people have lived with the ‘new normal’ of mask-wearing, hand-washing and maintaining social distance. Looking back to the life under COVID-19, there were both surprises and losses to several colleagues from different positions. Dr Norman Chan, Associate Consultant in the Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine at Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital (PYNEH), has been given the affectionate nickname ‘Dr Balloon’ after he used his balloon-twisting techniques to create a ‘Balloon Wall’ to encourage the frontline colleagues during the epidemic, and crafted a moving commemoration for a teenage patient who sadly passed away.
Dr Chan began twisting balloons 10 years ago since he became a paediatrician. “Balloon twisting is joyful. It brings me closer to the children, and comforts them during consultations,” he says. “Some children in the wards even insist on sleeping with the balloons. Their smiles encourage me to carry on with balloon twisting.”
Dr Chan began twisting balloons 10 years ago since he became a paediatrician. “Balloon twisting is joyful. It brings me closer to the children, and comforts them during consultations,” he says. “Some children in the wards even insist on sleeping with the balloons. Their smiles encourage me to carry on with balloon twisting.”
Encourage colleagues by setting up ‘Balloon Wall’
Over the years, he has delivered small surprises in wards, but his talent was not widely recognised until his creation of the ‘Balloon Wall’ during the epidemic. Hong Kong East was once the hotspot during the second wave of the epidemic, and Dr Chan and his volunteer friends set up the ‘Balloon Wall’ outside the PYNEH canteen where colleagues could leave messages of encouragement to each other, quickly capturing the attention of colleagues. “I did not expect balloon twisting to be anything special, but the ‘Balloon Wall’ got a lot of supports, and I realised I was making a contribution and causing a positive impact,” he reflects.
Artfully created precious memory for patient’s family
Balloon twisting means more to him than that. His most moving memory came when he created a tribute featuring Football Club Bayern Munich for a teenage fan who had been in a vegetative state because of heart problems. “After hoping against hope that her son would wake up one day, his mother finally decided to take him off life support during the epidemic and allow his organs to be donated to save others’ lives,” Dr Chan recalls. The hospital held a farewell ceremony for the boy under compassionate arrangements. The family spent the final Christmas with the boy and invited Dr Chan to participate in the decoration of the farewell ceremony, where he and volunteers artfully created players of the boy’s favourite football team out of balloons as a tribute to the boy to leave his family a reminiscence.
“There are many people who are keen on balloon twisting, but it means differently to patients and their families when they receive the balloons from a doctor,” he says. “The experience reminded me not to neglect things which might not seem so important, as it may help people one day.”
“There are many people who are keen on balloon twisting, but it means differently to patients and their families when they receive the balloons from a doctor,” he says. “The experience reminded me not to neglect things which might not seem so important, as it may help people one day.”
