Sam's story

Brave toddler Sam who is battling a rare form of childhood cancer has endured months of treatment – but ‘fantastic’ play sessions have pulled him through, his mum says.
 
Sam Vernon (three), of Worrall, was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma in February and has undergone treatment most days ever since.
 
But his mum Jenny believes it was play and the specialist play team here at The Children’s Hospital, Sheffield, that have helped Sam battle on. 
 
Jenny, who lives with husband Richard, said: “I can honestly say that, without the play facilities on the ward, he probably wouldn't have got through his treatment as well as he did. This has made the hospital a place that Sam isn’t afraid to go.
 
“If it wasn’t for his scars and bald head, you wouldn’t think Sam was such a poorly little boy because he’s so happy and playful. He puts us adults to shame with the way he has handled everything – he’s an absolute star.”
 
To highlight the importance of play in hospital for children like Sam, Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust is celebrating National Play in Hospital Week from September 20-25.  The Hospital is holding a series of events and celebrating helping make children’s lives brighter.
 
Before his diagnosis, Sam was struggling for breath and Jenny rushed him to the Children’s Hospital, where tests revealed he had a massive tumour from his neck to his stomach.
 
Jenny said: “Sam had been poorly for about two weeks with a cough and breathlessness so I took him to the doctors, where they treated him for a chest infection. But when I found him struggling for breath and turning blue I realised something more severe was wrong.”
 
Sam had an MRI scan and an ultrasound, and doctors performed three biopsies before diagnosing Sam with stage three Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.
 
He was immediately admitted to the hospital’s intensive care unit and put on steroids to reduce the the tumour. He spent 12 days there before starting his chemotherapy.
 
Since then Sam has been in hospital the majority of the time undergoing his treatment and during that time the play facilities and team have changed his life.
 
All the wards and most of the departments at the children's hospital have play specialists who provide appropriate play activities, such as art, painting, sticking and drawing,  to all children attending hospital. This helps them to cope and over come their illnesses though play and distraction as well as supporting the extended family.
 
Jenny added: “The play facilities have really helped take his mind off what he’s going through and the staff have supported us 100 per cent along the way to help make Sam’s days in hospital fun.”
 
Charlotte Cooper, play specialist at the hospital, said: “'It has been a pleasure to work with Sam, as he has shown that play is such a big part of a child's recovery. Sam always has a smile for us and tries to come to the playroom even when he is feeling poorly.
 
“It is important that we as play specialists do everything we can to minimise regression and lower the child's anxiety in hospital, especially with someone like Sam who has to come for treatment over a long period of time.”
 
Sam is at the end of six months intensive chemotherapy and is due to start 18 months of maintenance treatment, which his mum and dad can give at home.
 
Jenny added: “The news just came completely out of the blue and our world was turned upside down - but we vowed to stay strong as a family.
 
“Sam has been in hospital the majority of the time for the past six months and we worried how he would cope as he is normally so active. Of course their has been times that he has been very withdrawn and in a lot of pain, but he’s such a resiliant little boy and he has adapted very well.”
 
Chris Fitzsimmons, consultant at The Children’s Hospital, Sheffield, said: “Play is incredibly important for children in hopsital because it encourages them to interact with their peers in the way they would do at home or school. We can also use play as a tool to monitor a child’s progress and help them to achieve their developmental goals.”