Felix’s Story: From Mario to marathon
7th May, 2024
Felix’s childhood experiences at Moorfields inspired him to run a marathon, raising funds that could help other young patients.
Former Moorfields patient Felix ran the Barcelona Marathon on March 10, in support of Friends of Moorfields. Despite having never run a marathon before, Felix came in under his goal time of five hours – and sped past his fundraising goal too, raising over £900 to split between Friends of Moorfields and Starlight Children’s Foundation, the national charity for children’s play in healthcare.
“Of course it was hard work,” says Felix, “but the knees just about held up! 30-35km was definitely the hardest zone mentally, as soon as 35km fell it dawned that we were actually getting pretty close. Feeling happy that I have got it done and hugely appreciative of everyone who donated!”
During his childhood Felix spent a lot of time at Moorfields Eye Hospital, receiving treatment for a rare genetic condition called Blepharophimosis Ptosis Epicanthus Inversus Syndrome, or BPES. His experiences gave him an insight into how seemingly small things can make a big difference during a hospital visit.
“A hospital stay can be a really isolating experience for anyone, especially children,” Felix says. One of his most enduring memories of his childhood visits to Moorfields is being able to play Super Mario Sunshine on the ward’s game system, provided by Starlight. “The impact this had on me was huge,” he says.
Play in hospitals can go a long way to helping young patients have a positive experience, but provision of health play services varies from one trust to the next. As well as providing children’s magazines, Friends of Moorfields funds the salaries of 2.5 health play specialists, based at Moorfields’ Richard Desmond Children’s Eye Centre (RDCEC), to help make the experience less daunting for children attending for clinics and procedures. The play team at the RDCEC support dozens of children on an average day, and thousands each month.
Health play specialists don’t just play with children – they are clinical support professionals who have studied the psychological effects of illness and trauma in children and have the skills to safeguard children’s emotional and mental health in healthcare settings. In research conducted by Starlight, 95% of responses reported that children who played seemed to have a more positive healthcare experience.
“Whilst they’re playing, we can talk to them and find out what their anxieties are,” says health play specialist Edna Owusu. “I say to them, you’re in charge. We’re here to look after you and help you. And if you’re worried about anything, just let us know.”
“Children have a right to play, and this doesn’t change during their time in hospital,” says Gemma Peterman, who was inspired to become a health play specialist after her own childhood experiences, and now works in the play team at Moorfields. “Play in hospital provides children with a sense of normality during a time which can be challenging for them.”
Gemma recently ran The Big Half to raise money for Friends of Moorfields, in order to fund the purchase of accessible iPads the team can use to help young patients relax, and even more importantly, to communicate. “A large screen display and accessibility features such as zoom, voiceover and contrasting colours allow children with limited vision to use the iPads. As a play team we also support non-verbal or Deaf children and young people, who can use the new iPads to communicate through AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) applications or through typing. Overall, this will give these children the ability to have a voice during their time in hospital.”
The money raised by Felix’s marathon will help fund our projects around Moorfields, including our continued support of the health play team. “Knowing that the money I have raised could go towards making sure other children will get the support I did makes all the difference,” says Felix. “I’m truly glad I can give back to the fantastic institution to which I owe a huge deal of my quality of life!”