Young Medical Learners get hands on experience with professional guidance

The best kept secret of the festival at the Children's Hospital festival last week was the chance for children to touchy-feely with all kinds of things, the way doctors and nurses like to!

All aspects of health care could be tried out, explained very easily and quickly hands-on. Children could try to use an ultrasound machine (to see what kind of fruit was hidden in a jelly pack!); they could mix ingredients to make new medicines; they could give a lifelike baby doll a warm bath, injections and swab wounds; they could listen to heartbeats & take pulses, check other vial signs...they could even have a go at making stitches in a very real pig's heart. Brilliant experience (if you have the stomach for it!) and I hope inspired some youngsters to study science more. Certainly not everyday you can get live tuition from a heart surgeon on a real heart!



Download the slideshow at http://studio.stupeflix.com/v/SlDMLkhguj/

Throwing up with an audience - juggling in hospital!

Usually, the Quad in the middle of the hospital is a nice quiet place to sit and think, enjoy a bit of sunshine and escape the 'hospital' feel of flourescent lighting and the faint smell of disinfectant. On festival day, it became the home to a procession of cunjurors, mimes, jugglers and street performers. As you will see in the slideshow, they had their little audience (not their lunch!) in the plam of their hands.

Supersized Mascots roam free, kids enthralled

I christen you "Chirukuma"

The Prefectural Children's Hospital wanted to reveal their new mascot at the festival, and to have it named by a popular vote. Of course, the mascot community found out and came to crash the party! In all, 20 oversized characters turned up to parade themselves and to wander the corridors looking for hands to shake. Very popular and colourful participants!

One big balloon and glowing smiles

I have to admit I volunteered eagerly to be able to photograph this year's festival at the Prefectural Children's Hospital. The red roof is a familiar landmark (which I am sure the helicopter ambulance pilots appreciate) out in the fields of Azumino. My school has deep ties with the hospital, going back over a generation and still going strong now. We really do know how much good is done there, and how much the staff care about the children in their care. We know that some of the patients are very poorly indeed, and others just need to be there for a long time. It is a beacon of hope, as well as excellence.

Once a year, they open their doors and put on an event for visitors and patients. It is remarkable how many people attended, but not that the place was buzzing with tenderness and love. From dawn, a hot air balloon all the way from Saku was anchored, then inflated, in the car park, offering rides above the hospital roof for a pristine view of the Alps on a beautiful clear morning. It was wonderfully heartwarming to see clearly unwell children be brave again, and enjoy the thrill of a very unusual ride. A very big 'wow' event.

Click on the slideshow below for all the smiles!


You can download the slideshow (free) at http://studio.stupeflix.com/v/9p4ld9OFML/