A day this elephant will never forget!
Children in Queen Mary’s Hospital for Children enjoyed a fun-packed morning of Elmer-themed activities in honour of Elmer Day, as part of the first annual event to celebrate the beloved patchwork elephant.
Joined by children from the Woodlands Nursery at St Helier Hospital, young patients had the chance to make an Elmer collage, colour in pictures, play pin the trunk on Elmer, and decorate special medals to wear. Play Specialist Sara Smith, who organised the event, explained: “Elmer has a really important place in our hospital. Just over a year ago, we launched our Elmer Theatre Trail – a series of Elmer pictures that line the route our patients take when they are going for a surgical procedure, helping give them something nice to focus on and providing a fun distraction at what can be quite a worrying time.
“The Theatre Trail has been really well received by our patients, their parents and our staff, so we wanted to do something extra special to mark Elmer Day. Playing and having fun is an integral part of what we do for our young patients, and we know it can have a significant impact on improving their hospital experience. We were also delighted to be joined by children from Woodlands Nursery (the onsite childcare facility for children of staff who work at the hospitals). All of the children produced some fantastic works of Elmer art, which we are now proudly displaying on the ward!”
The occasion also included the arrival of a very special delivery from Wrap Pyjama Fairies, who donated 100 theatre gowns, for young patients to wear if they are undergoing a surgical procedure. The gowns, which are handmade by volunteers, have been approved for use in UK hospitals and feature a range of fun and colourful designs.
The special delivery came courtesy of Fairy Shamrock (otherwise known as Jo Angus, when she’s not on fairy duty), who lives in nearby Coulsdon and has recently started volunteering for the charity. She said: “I was really pleased to be invited to Elmer Day and to meet some of the children. It was also the perfect opportunity for me to deliver the gowns me and my fellow fairy volunteers have made. I love being part of Wrap Pyjama Fairies and being able to ‘give something back’ – it is a lovely feeling knowing that something I made is helping a little one feel better about being in hospital.”
Charlotte Hall, Chief Nurse, said: “Elmer Day was a great success, and went down a treat with the children! Their artwork looks fabulous up on the wall in our children’s ward, and brings a smile to everyone’s face as they walk past – thanks to everyone involved for putting on such a brilliant event. We were really pleased to be part of Elmer Day, and would like to thank Andersen Press for being so generous in allowing us to make Elmer part of the family at Queen Mary’s.
“On behalf of the ward team and our patients, I’d also like to say a huge thank you to Fairy Shamrock and the other volunteers at Wrap Pyjama Fairies for their incredibly thoughtful donation.”
You can find out more about the work of Wrap Pyjama Fairies by visiting www.wrappyjamafairies.co.uk.
