Laughter the best medicine at paediatric play day

PLAY is a serious business - especially in a children’s hospital where it forms part of the healing process.

At Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin, Dublin, they’ve got it down to a fine art, as was demonstrated during yesterday’s annual play day.

Filled with wall-to-wall fun, the hospital buzzed as games and activities were laid on to cater for all age groups. Face painting seemed universal - even boss Gerry O’Dwyer got in on the act.

“Everybody has their T-shirt on. I didn’t even recognise my own CEO,” said spokeswoman Suzanne Downey, as the paediatric hospital got into the groove with all staff seamlessly mixing work and pleasure.

“Today has been our biggest day over the last five years, with activities going on the whole day. Everybody’s been covered,” said Suzanne, the only staff member wearing conventional dress, so she could be recognised by the eager media hordes.

Her face adorned with painted flowers, Shelagh Meroun took some time from the fun to explain the crucial role she and her four play specialist colleagues have in hospital.

“You are empowering them to deal with their situation. When you talk to children afterwards, the thing they remember most about being in hospital is the play and the fun that they had.”

Shelagh manages the hospital’s play department, which has been growing slowly - at the rate of one play specialist for each of the past five years. In London’s Great Ormond Hospital they have a play specialist for every ward; here they must make do with considerably less.

“We provide play for the children every day. When children come into hospital - a strange environment - they don’t play spontaneously. Unless you have someone there on hand who’s trained and is there specifically to encourage them to play, many of them won’t play.

“What you are doing is breaking down the barriers between the medical part of the hospital and the normal part of it.

“So, when they see the play room they’re off, they can relax. Once they relax, it’s easier for them to take on board what’s happening to them,” said Shelagh.