Cumbria’s Team Evie has joined forces with Newcastle Hospitals Charity to provide new support for children with sensory needs.
The charities are working on the Sensational Thinking Project’to develop a new way of supporting children who spend a long time in Newcastle’s Great North Children’s Hospital, by providing Bobby’s Little Explorer Kits.
Team Evie was set up by Greg and Jill Johnston following the death of their first daughter, Evie, who died aged six months in September 2015. Evie suffered from multiple and serious cardiac, respiratory, and digestive problems and spent much of her life in the paediatric intensive care unit at the Great North Children’s Hospital.
Research has shown that sensory development is much more difficult for children who spend extended amounts of time in hospital and by working together, Team Evie and the Sensational Thinking Project have created Bobby’s Little Explorer Kits to address the issue.
Now, children who spend extended amounts of time in hospital at the Great North Children’s Hospital will be given one of the kits, containing resources to use in activities to help sensory development. Also included is a booklet outlining how each item can be used by parents to engage with their child in the different activities.
The occupational therapy team at the Great North Children’s Hospital is leading the project and will also run Bobby’s Little Explorers Groups on the wards to work with young patients and educate parents on how they can use the resources in the bag to help their child at home.
Greg Johnston, Team Evie chief executive said, “Evie spent most of the six months she was with us in hospital, and we could see during that time how important it was to help her with her sensory development.
“To provide something to help children and their parents actively work on their co-ordination and environmental awareness is something we are really proud of – we know it will make a huge difference to the development of so many children.”
“Providing these packs for families was something we were really keen to do as soon as we started discussing the Sensational Thinking Project. We are so grateful to all our supporters who help us to continue to raise funds so we can commit to such projects, which we know will help so many sick children and their families.”
Newcastle Hospitals Charity is the official charity for Newcastle Hospitals and provided the initial funding for the Sensational Thinking Project.
Since it was set up, Team Evie has raised over £500,000 which has been used to; fund medical equipment and provide training that has saved children’s lives, make time in hospital easier for sick children and reduce anxiety for families and to support bereaved parents in their time of need.
The charity holds several fundraising events every year, including a Million Steps Challenge, 3 Lakes Walk, Coast to Coast cycle, 3 Peaks Walk and a Santa Dash.
For more information visit www.teamevie.org
