Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, is believed to be the first in the country to offer tailored PE lessons to children on its wards.
Ella, who had surgery two years ago, is a keen footballer who has played in her school’s club. She said “ I want to be on a football team when I’m older” and she misses playing with her friends. She said: “It’s very boring being in hospital, because I’m always in my room, so it’s nice coming outside,” she said.
Her mother Kelly Gilbert said Ella has been in hospital for four of the last six months, lying in the bed for most of the time, and every time she left with back pain. “Getting out of the room gives her a boost, and gets her moving as well — for a nine-year-old to have bad back problems is not good,” she said. “If she’s got PE lessons, it’s more like normal life and she is not missing out on what other kids have at school.”
Pilgrim Pathways School provides education for children and young people with complex mental and physical health needs during their stay at the hospital. Headteacher Nadine Gooding-Hébert said the children can “feel marginalised (被边缘化的) from their everyday lives and peer groups”, while “a balanced curriculum gives them the chance to re-connect with their ‘normal’ life”. The school is providing expert knowledge and funding to help put PE on the hospital’s school curriculum.
Specialist paediatric physiotherapist (儿科理疗师), Becca Knowles said the “huge health benefits” of being physically active include “cardiovascular (心血管的) health, bone health and mental health, in addition to reducing side effects of some treatments, reducing infection risk and even improving treatment outcomes”. “One of my personal highlights has been experiencing the laughter, enjoyment and enthusiasm towards movement and being active,” she said.
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