Health Play Specialist runs half-marathon for the Friends
19th June, 2023
A Health Play Specialist at Moorfields is running a half-marathon in support of the Friends of Moorfields, with the goal of funding new iPads to help distract young patients and prepare them for surgery.
Gemma has first-hand knowledge of the importance of play in hospital – growing up with a visual impairment, she spent plenty of time at clinic appointments and having procedures and was supported by Health Play Specialists herself. Play is vital to children’s positive experience of healthcare, reducing the anxiety, fear and stress of being in hospital and mitigating the pain and trauma of treatment. For this reason, the Friends of Moorfields fund the salaries of 2.5 Health Play Specialists at Moorfields, as well as providing grants for some of the play team’s projects.
Inspired by the people who supported her and made her childhood experiences more positive, Gemma became a Health Play Specialist herself and is now a member of the play team at the Richard Desmond Children’s Eye Centre at Moorfields Eye Hospital.
The young patients at Moorfields often have visual impairments, so they need items adapted to their needs. Gemma is fundraising so that the Friends can provide iPads with large-screen displays and accessibility features like zoom, voiceover and contrasting colours, to make sure as many children as possible can benefit from them. They also need communication board and typing apps so that children who are non-verbal or deaf can have a voice during their time in hospital. For all children, iPads are a welcome distraction and comfort at stressful times.
To raise the funds, Gemma is running The Big Half this September, accompanied by her guide runner and cousin Chloe. Their training has already started, and so has the fundraising!
Check out Gemma’s progress at her JustGiving page.
