We spoke to entertainer and magician, Paul about his work over the last 10 years with Spread a Smile, visiting seriously ill children in hospital and helping to provide distraction and magical moments for play and fun.
“It is a privilege to work with Spread a Smile and help make a difference to children in hospital. Each visit I make is supported by a Spread a Smile Visit Manager and the rapport between us often enhances the experience, not only for the patient but also for family members at the bedside.
“It is important that we adapt our style of engagement for each individual child, whether it’s a three-year-old or a ‘cool’ teenager, so the kit I take is always suitable for a wide range of ages with minimal set up and reset. Tricks with ropes, cards, sponge balls and modelling balloons are usually in the mix and as a magician, I love being able to perform with cards almost every day – it keeps me sharp and match-fit!
“The families we meet are often going through the worst of times. To know that we are really making a difference is absolutely brilliant. Often you can hear the laughter echoing down the corridors during a visit and we often hear things such as “We haven’t heard them laugh, let alone smile, since they arrived in hospital.”
“I remember going into a High Dependency Unit (HDU), to visit a twelve-year-old girl who was connected to a lot of machines and was staring into the distance. I directed my questions, as always, to the patient, asking what balloon animal she would like me to make. After a short pause, her father suggested that she use her screen. She was then able to use her eyes to act as a computer mouse and give me her answer. “An aardvark.”
“At that moment, I knew that the fun had already begun, as a mischievous grin came across her face. Even though she still had a long journey ahead of her, it was the first positive sign of something changing and it was a heartfelt moment for everyone in the room.
“On another occasion, I was asked by the nurses to see a twelve-year-old boy. He was receiving dialysis, which meant that he had been connected to a machine for four hours before I arrived. He had a very painful migraine and was finding it extremely difficult to see and focus.
“I started to perform a few card tricks and, as the minutes passed, I could physically see his frown disappear, the colour return to his
cheeks and his smile come back. As I finished my last trick, I clicked my fingers and asked him how his headache was and in that instant he realised that the pain had gone. Of course I’m no miracle worker, but it was wonderful to see how the magic distracted him for his medical situation, enabling him to put aside his pain and focus on something else for a few moments. That look of wonder that he gave me said it all.”
Spread a Smile entertainers bring so much joy and happiness to seriously ill children and young people receiving treatment and care across our 39 NHS hospital and six hospice partners.
Please donate today and help ensure entertainers like Paul can continue to spread smiles when they are needed most.