Bringing magic moments to young patients

“Mummy, let’s drop some lavender oil and make this a fragrance diffuser at home!” Nine-year-old Haley happily chats to her mother as she rolls chenille sticks to make a delicate lavender flower container at the Hong Kong Children’s Hospital. Haley visits the hospital at least twice a month and she likes visiting the Patient Resource Centre before and after her appointments. “She is very happy that all the facilities in the centre are open now and she can do craftwork with other children,” her mother explains.

During the COVID-19 outbreak, some zones of the centre were closed. Staff at the centre did their best to keep the children connected, producing children’s programmes with community partners for young patients to enjoy in the wards and arranging video visits, so that the children could feel caring as always. “Face-to-face interaction is always the best,” says the centre’s Social Work Officer Yvonne Lam. “When children are excited and grab your arm, the interaction is particularly precious and is a magic moment that will be engraved in their minds. That’s why the children and staff were so excited when the centre opened fully in May, after the epidemic had subsided.”

The first event after the full opening of the centre was held to celebrate Mother’s Day and Father’s Day and was called ‘Father & Mother I love you’. Yvonne and her colleagues were particularly touched by a card written by a young girl with complex and serious disease to her mother. “The little girl said she was thankful to her mother for bringing her into this world,” recalls Yvonne, still clearly moved at the memory. “Even though she suffered so much discomfort when her life was endangered, she was still full of gratitude for her mother. The mother burst into tears when she saw the card, and that brought tears to our eyes too. We are glad that we can now resume our activities and provide more opportunities for families to enjoy quality time. Parents can also get together here to encourage and support each other.”