Life on Ward 7

Step into Ward 7, where the pitter-patter of paws brightens even the toughest days. This is the children’s dialysis unit at the Great North Children’s Hospital — a place where young patients spend hours each week hooked up to life-saving machines. But thanks to Daisy the Cockapoo and her devoted humans, Jackie and Martin, these moments are made a little more bearable. Here’s more about Daisy’s story:

“Hey, look at me, I’ve got a doughnut – with sprinkles!” shouts Leo from the far end of the room. “Daisy, look at my doughnut!”

At the opposite end, Jack is fast asleep, his Nana right by his side, on vigil. Joseph, not so sure about dogs, tries not to look up, but it’s obvious he’s peeping.

“Daisy, Daisy, Daisy, come up here; I want a cuddle; put her on my knee. Daisy, Daisy, can you do tricks for me? Oh, Daisy, Daisy!” Theo is his usual self, a devoted fan of this weekly visitor.

Ruby’s chair is empty today, and Trinity is quietly waiting for her ‘turn’. The football coach is throwing balls to Joe. A Seven Stories storyteller wearing giant rabbit ears is reading animatedly to Leo. A volunteer is playing cards with Trinity, and her Dad is building a complicated Lego on the floor beside her. A teacher marbles Easter eggs with ‘magic’ pens.

“Debbie I’m hungry….”
“Am I done yet?” Beep, beep!
“Daisy, come over here. Have you brought her hurdles? Can she do a backflip?”
Beep! “Be a bear, Daisy!”

Welcome to Ward 7.

Lively, noisy, bustling, a hub of activity, banter, laughter, and filled with fun, Ward 7 is a special place. Tucked away on the 3rd floor is the Great North Children’s Hospital’s Kidney Dialysis Unit. Children with renal failure, most of them waiting patiently for a donor kidney, spend a large part of their lives there. Three times a week, for 3-4 hours at a time, it’s their way of life. Hooked up to a dialysis machine, they are ‘stuck’ in their area whilst the machine works its magic.

Dialysis is a procedure to remove waste products and excess fluid from the blood when the kidneys stop working properly. It’s only onlookers like us who see it as a hindrance; however, the children just simply take it in their stride. Jack, 3, has never known life without it.

Yet, these children can never go on holiday, can never eat chocolate or crisps, and their fluid intake can be as little as 500 mls a day; they miss school, they miss out, as they wait and wait and wait. Sometimes, it can be 2-3 years or more before a suitable kidney is found; sometimes, transplants can be unsuccessful, and the unlucky ones have to go back on dialysis until another match is found. Who knew about children like this?

Daisy’s visits to Ward 7 are much appreciated by patients, parents and staff alike. Every child has a photo of themselves with Daisy, strung up like jolly bunting above their chairs in their own area. Daisy visits each child in turn and simply puts smiles on their faces. She is part of a team of all kinds of visitors invited in to relieve the children’s boredom and bring cheer. The devoted and lively staff on Ward 7 make this happen by welcoming us so warmly. It’s a privilege to be part of the cheering-up team and Daisy does her best to rise to the challenge. She is working hard on mastering the backflip for Theo!

(Theo and Daisy)