You're Amazing (Winter/Spring 2016) (Winter/Spring 2016) | Page 6

Supporting our youngest patients You’re all stars! Thank you so much to everyone who supported our Little Stars Appeal, for all the lovely stars you sent for our children in hospital over Christmas and for your kind gifts. Every year, dozens of children have to spend Christmas in hospital. Children like Annabelle (pictured), who was rushed to Evelina London in December 2013. She was diagnosed with a very rare disease that affected her brain and spine. Two years on, she still has made a remarkable recovery but still has regular check-ups. Your gifts will help us treat more children like Annabelle and give them the vital care they desperately need. Our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) ha s some life-saving specialist equipment to kit out a new two-cot isolation bay – part of NICU’s plans for much-needed expansion. The unit’s growth will mean NICU – which is very often completely full – will be able to care for 22 critically ill babies, a fantastic increase on its current number of 16. A generous donation from The Lord Leonard and Lady Estelle Wolfson Foundation will help buy monitors for checking vital signs, a ventilator, respiratory and suction equipment specifically designed for tiny babies, a set of syringe and infusion pumps to give life-saving medication, and new incubators. ‘Without donations such as these we’d find it difficult to buy the specialist equipment needed for providing the best care for very sick or premature babies,’ explains Alex Phillips, Matron in NICU. You can still make a donation to support our work treating tiny babies and sick children. Call 020 7848 4701 or go to www.supportevelina.org.uk/stars 6 Your support has helped launch a DVD which empowers How y our children who struggle with speaking to have the skills suppor t has and confidence to communicate in other ways. made a Through the fun and interactive method of song, it differ ence teaches children and their families to sign. 27 young patients of Evelina London were involved in the making of the DVD, along with many of their parents and siblings. Amélie (pictured), now seven, had seizures that injured her brain when she was three weeks old. She is now registered blind and needs 24-hour care. ‘It was a really positive experience and a massive proud moment when I saw her on the screen,’ says mum Anne-Joëlle. ‘The DVD gives Amélie the opportunity to practise her signing skills at home.’ Aida Hagos’ 11-year-old son Evenez has cerebral palsy and he enjoys going to Sports Camp. It’s a week-long event for children with disabilities, funded by donations to Evelina London. ‘There aren’t many activities that he can do in his wheelchair, but at Sports Camp he was so happy,’ says Aida. ‘He tried sports that he’d never tried before, that we didn’t think it was possible for him to do.’ Activities such as gymnastics, archery, basketball and go-karting are available for a wide range of ability levels. Evelina London community physiotherapist Becky Flannery says: ‘Improving their strength, flexibility and balance is obviously important to the children’s health, and they have an amazing time. That’s one of our biggest achievements because we want to show them that sport can be fun.’ 7