Baby Matilda (Pictured)
Glowing fingers and smiling babies thanks to innovative equipment
Together, we are helping to shine a light on tiny veins and make hospital less scary for thousands of small children like Matilda.
Meghan’s ten-month-old daughter Matilda has a bowel condition called Total Colonic Hirschsprungs (TCH), which happens when certain nerve cells are missing.
For Matilda, it meant that more than half of her bowel didn’t work properly.
After having two operations, brave little Matilda needs regular intravenous treatment in Mountain ward at Evelina London. This involves needles being inserted into Matilda’s veins to administer medication, and for blood tests.
“It was a complete shock. It was terrifying not knowing what’s going to happen to your baby. But the staff at Evelina London have been amazing."
Because babies’ veins are so small, inserting tubes or taking blood can be very tricky. Even for Evelina London’s expert team, who always do their best to make sure every child feels safe and comforted.
“At first, the doctors and nurses found it hard to find a vein on Matilda,” Meghan remembers. “On one occasion, they tried to put in a cannula a number of times before finding a vein. This was stressful for both Matilda and for me as her mum.”
But thanks to our brilliant and inspiring supporters, we have been able to fund some innovative equipment, which help the team find veins quickly and easily in even the tiniest arms. This makes injections much less scary for small children, and less distressing for their parents. Plus, the children love seeing their fingers glow.
“It’s reassuring for everyone when the equipment is used,” says Meghan. “Seeing needles inserted into Matilda so often can be really stressful, but with the help of the lights and scanners the process is much faster and smoother.”
Together, we are making a huge difference to Matilda and Meghan and the thousands of other children and families who receive compassionate and comforting care in Mountain ward each year.
But it also means the world to the devoted Evelina London team.
“Thank you doesn’t entirely convey what support from Evelina London’s family means to us,” says Dr Anna Finnemore, Consultant General Paediatrician in Mountain ward. “For me, I am saying thank you for believing in us, for seeing what we are trying to achieve and for enabling us to keep trying.
“Donating to support Evelina London, where children and families really are at the heart of what we do, not only supports them but also supports us, the staff. Your backing gives us the belief and the resilience to keep pushing forward. And for that, we all thank you.”
Join our ever-growing family and help find even more ways to make treatment less scary for children and young people.