By Ahmereen Reza OBE
The Covid-19 pandemic in the UK has caused an unprecedented challenge to our way of life and the safe delivery of health care. I wrote this article to pay tribute to both the NHS staff, the unobtrusive but much needed work of DIL Trust UK and the National Portrait Gallery’s (NPG) Magical Journeys- Hospital program, with the hope to relaunch it, once we have overcome the challenges of COVID-19.
In 2016, the NPG in London commissioned Shirin Neshat, the celebrated Iranian painter, for a very special portrait. It was for one of the bravest, most inspiring girls of this generation, Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani Nobel Laureate and international girls’ education campaigner who was brutally gunned down by the Taliban for her advocacy of girls’ education in Swat Valley, Pakistan. Airlifted to Britain, Malala underwent life-saving surgery at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. As they do day in, day out, the many talented, dedicated doctors, nurses, administrators of the NHS saved a precious life and preserved the dreams of a girl, the dreams of her parents, and the dreams of the tens of millions of girls around the world denied basic education.
Every child has a right to dream. And when they fall ill, some terminally, it is incumbent on us all to keep those dreams alive. In 2014, as the Chairperson of DIL UK, a charity committed to girls' education in Pakistan, I joined hands with the NPG to fund and develop a programme for sick children in NHS hospitals to engage in the creative arts.
Called 'Magical Journeys', the programme introduced those children in hospital for extended treatments and surgeries to the NPG’s vast collection of portraits and artists. NPG volunteers and artists led workshops that provided children and their parents much-needed creative distraction from the stress of a hospital stay, to make it less frightening, to give a child a rare moment to dream of life beyond illness, and reconnect with a happier, more carefree time. The portraits and their inspirational stories of achievement, determination, tenacity and dedication are designed to help bring solace on days otherwise filled with difficult medical treatments and provide a creative springboard for artists to engage with the children.
There is of course a very real clinical basis underpinning Magical Journeys. The artists use a variety of techniques aimed at eliciting a direct cognitive response from the patients. Encouraging children to focus their thoughts on a portrait and engage in a variety of creative mediums helps shift their attention from an inward perspective focused on their body, illness and treatment, to a different scenario; a ‘magical journey’ in the present or in a re-created space, allowing them to express their emotions while socialising and reducing introversion.
Magical Journeys was launched at four London hospitals: Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital, Evelina London Children’s Hospital at Guy’s and St Thomas’, The Royal London Hospital at Whitechapel, and Newham University Hospital. Each hospital is specialised in a field of medicine and our programme for each hospital was designed with this in mind.
Magical Journeys book launch at Evelina London Children’s Hospital with poet John Hegley @ National Portrait Gallery & DIL UK
Activities are tailored to meet the individual limitations and handicaps, to be age appropriate and in tune with the ability of each child. Central to each activity is engagement of siblings, parents, and the nurses on duty.
Activities are typically scheduled during periods when hospital schools are closed. Children unable to attend sessions due to clashes with treatment times can still participate in creative activities in their own time with a book My Superheroes and Magical Journeys.
The stories of children’s journeys, their flights of utter, delightful fancy, are simply magical. Whether it’s exploring the work of Sir Joseph Banks by creating a wishing tree on which all of their unmet wishes are hung, or copying dancer and choreographer Akram Khan’s hand gestures making shadow that explore emotions, promises an afternoon out of bed away from their daily clinical surroundings and routine treatment. Some children have even asked to change the time of their treatments so they could participate in a workshop.
Workshop inspired by Wedgwood & Akram Khan- dance artist, Royal London Hospital-@National Portrait Gallery & DIL UK
The programme has improved interaction between young people and parents in the same ward, allowing them to share their concerns in an informal way. It has been shown to improve the hospital experience even for children undergoing stressful treatments. It has allowed the families to share stress-free, pleasurable time together, co-creating positive memories of their time in hospital. Staff at all four NHS hospitals in which it has been trialled believe it is having a unique therapeutic impact on patients and their families, describing it as ‘positive, distracting, relaxing and enjoyable’. It has helped patients to break out of the awkwardness of their circumstances and to socialise and meet other patients. Parents have managed to shift their own overwhelming anxiety to something more positive.
One mother's comment captured the essence of the programme. "This workshop has been an enjoyable distraction from the reason why we are in hospital. It's given me time to relax with my daughter. It’s the first time I’ve seen her smile."
Due to COVID restrictions, the Magical Journeys workshop was closed, parents were frightened of the possibility of having their children’s treatments, tests and appointments cancelled or disrupted. As the pandemic took hold, I saw the untold impact that the disruption to health services has had on such young patients. I am not sure Magical journeys will return to hospital soon enough, but I am certain of two things. Firstly, disruption to treatments can’t continue as terminally ill patients’ needs will not stop for the pandemic. Secondly, now more than ever, post-covid, we need to address the fear and anxiety faced by ill children and their families in hospitals.
The children look forward to having us back, with these messages: ‘I got to meet new people, make stuff and be happy’. ‘If you weren’t here I would be on my phone for the whole day’. ‘I want you to come back!
