Festive Activities Organized for Young Hospital Patients During Holidays

Hospital personnel aimed to bring some holiday cheer to young patients spending the Christmas season in a ward. Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge arranged a variety of activities for children, including a surprise visit from a superhero, one of Santa’s helpers, and a magician. The inaugural visit occurred on Wednesday, featuring Spiderman, who first visited the children’s cancer ward before making an appearance at the Paediatric Emergency Department. According to play specialist Sophie Barber, “It makes a huge difference to the young patients we support, especially when they are feeling unwell and a bit low about spending the festive period on a hospital ward.” On Monday, magician Wayne Goodman is set to visit, followed on Wednesday by Graham Taylor, head of culinary arts at Cambridge Regional College, and his colleague Julian Peck. More than 100 gingerbread figures, crafted by Mr. Taylor’s students, are available for the children to decorate. Thursday will see representatives from The Jockey Club Newmarket arrive at the Paediatric Emergency Department to hand over a large collection of presents. Among the thousands of donations received this Christmas were these gifts, some of which will be kept for children’s birthdays or as bravery presents. Monday, December 23, will feature a visit from Katie the Elf, who will engage with young patients to share kindness, fun, and tales. Ms. Barber noted: “Christmas is one of the busiest times of year for our team and we are hugely grateful for all the support we get from the community. “Their generosity never ceases to amaze us.” Information regarding Cambridgeshire news can be accessed via BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram, and X. This material is copyrighted by BBC, 2024, with all rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content of external sites. Details concerning our external linking policy are available.