Bring joy to kids during journey against disease

Chiu Sau-ying
Nurse Specialist
Queen Mary Hospital

“Many perceive children’s cancer ward as a heart-rending place, but I find it a place flooded with moving and encouraging stories, where sick kids, their families and medical staff show mutual support and generate positive energy,” says Chiu Sau-ying, Nurse Specialist, Queen Mary Hospital.

Sau-ying is responsible for taking care of children cancer patients, stem cell transplantation and stem cells collection, for which she painstakingly assists in the launch of pilot chemotherapy schemes and the production of educational brochures and videos for patients. “Not only does my participation help enhance the quality and safety of patient care, but also streamline the procedure of chemotherapy schemes through making suggestions from the perspective of nurses, so that frontline nurses find it easier to master relevant skills.” Her endeavour in strengthening the training of paediatric oncology nursing care and coordinating the work of different healthcare professionals caring for cancer children is beyond doubt.

It is rather exhausting for parents to accompany their children through the long journey of cancer therapy and recovery. Their anxiety tends to ‘infect’ and makes their children interpret it as a sign that ‘something has gone wrong’. Therefore, Sau‑ying set up a parent support group in 1995 to offer a solid support network for the families of children patients. “Parents will share their past experiences, feeling and thoughts on how to handle the illness and take care of their beloved kids, such as how to deal with their emotions and provide respective care. Their words of comfort mean much more than what we healthcare staff say. As soon as parents can find a way to accept what lies ahead, they will be able to rejuvenate the spirit of their children to fight against the illness.”

Every child wants to have fun and game time. Inspired by the visiting volunteers from Children’s Cancer Foundation, Sau‑ying proposed to bring doctors, nurses and parents of children patients together to learn balloon twisting, so that they can bring joy to the sick children and help them forget the stress from illness.

Having worked in the paediatrics and adolescent medicine department for 31 years, Sau-ying has never thought about retirement. It is all because many warm-hearted people, including volunteers of the parents group, children who had already recovered and discharged and their parents, as well as the parents of deceased patients, all showed continuous and unlimited support to those little fighters of disease. At Christmas, they will all come back to the hospital to organise parties and performances for other patients, “Their love, care and actions are the best recognition of our work and our motivation to remain in the position.”