Hello again Elsie!

Hello again Elsie!

In March 2023 Elsie came to Sheffield Children’s for a special Super Saturday sensory appointment with our MRI team. Elsie’s visit was a big success and, with the help of Theo the bear, she managed to have her MRI scan and avoided needing to return to hospital to have the scan under general anaesthetic.

12 months on from this appointment we met Elsie again at another of our Super Saturday events where she brought her sister and friends along to take part in the Teddy Bear Hospital experience. The event was a collaboration with medical students from the University of Sheffield and provided hundreds of children and families with a playful and informal opportunity to learn more about hospital experiences, and their health in general.

Helena, Elsie’s mum, said: “Elsie’s experience at Super Saturday last year was so positive and has meant Elsie has been able to talk with confidence to people about having an MRI. Elsie’s grandma recently had an MRI and prior to her appointment Elsie wanted to reassure her grandma that it would be alright and she actually liked the scanner and would go in it again if she had to.”

Elsie said: “I could hear the lady telling me I was doing amazing and I could also hear the scanner because it’s really loud. When it sounded like rock music Theo bear was dancing which made me feel happy. I knew I couldn’t laugh or smile though because I had to keep still.”

After her MRI last year Elsie had a photo with Theo and it now features on the wall at Sheffield Children’s Hospital. When Elsie visited us again for the Teddy Bear Hospital event she went to see her photo on the wall and we took some ‘one year on’ photos with Theo, too!

Elsie said: I loved taking my dalmatian Patch to the Teddy Bear Hospital because Patch got to go in the MRI scanner like me. I also liked the plaster room and learning how they put a cast on. And I saw my photo!”

Isabella, Elsie’s best friend, said: “The Teddy Bear Hospital was awesome! I liked it when my teddy had the blood test.”

Helena said: “Elsie’s sister Lottie and Isabella’s brother Theo are both younger but they were both interested in the activities and thoroughly enjoyed their visit too. The Teddy Bear Hospital is great for parents as it gives us a chance to see inside the hospital, meet the friendly staff and see the jobs that they do.”

Super Saturdays are a brilliant opportunity for us to do things differently and we loved catching up with Elsie and her family and friends and seeing them have lots of fun together.