Going to the hospital can be scary at any age.

It can be exceptionally frightening for children, especially if they含羞草研究社檙e in pain, which is often the case when visiting the emergency room.

That含羞草研究社檚 why a Peace Arch Hospital doctor teamed up with a puppeteer and ventriloquist to create videos about several common procedures that a young patient might experience when they come to the ER.

含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 about trying to make the ER less scary for kids,含羞草研究社� said Dr. Amir Behboudi, an emergency room doctor at Peace Arch Hospital.

含羞草研究社淲e want to decrease children含羞草研究社檚 anxiety when they come to the hospital.含羞草研究社�

It含羞草研究社檚 something Behboudi has been wanting to do for several years. When his own young son had to go to Surrey Memorial hospital with a face infection, a child life specialist used distraction techniques to administer his IV, or intravenous line.

After witnessing his son含羞草研究社檚 positive response, Behboudi knew he wanted, more than ever, to do something, but funding wasn含羞草研究社檛 available for child life specialists at Peace Arch Hospital.

However, he managed to find some funding through Peace Arch Hospital Foundation and, in collaboration with Child Life at BC Children含羞草研究社檚 Hospital and Tsz Shing (Brandon) Ng, a UBC medical student, 含羞草研究社渨e teamed up to discuss what common scenarios that come up in the ER.含羞草研究社�

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He then garnered the help of Kellie Haines 含羞草研究社� a puppeteer and ventriloquist he and his wife have known for years 含羞草研究社� and Beyond Your Eye Productions to create videos about six common ER scenarios: X-ray, ultrasound, blood draw, CT scans, starting an IV and procedural sedation.

含羞草研究社淲e wanted it to be colourful and we wanted it to be action-oriented, so children can see what含羞草研究社檚 going on,含羞草研究社� Haines said.

The video series 含羞草研究社� entitled 含羞草研究社淢agrau and Kellie and the Hospital含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社� features Haines with one of her puppets, a large and rather absent-minded bird named Magrau.

含羞草研究社淭he videos are intended to help kids feel less scared at the hospital, and to educate the child 含羞草研究社� and their caregiver(s) 含羞草研究社� and get them prepared for what they含羞草研究社檙e about to do,含羞草研究社� Haines said.

In the videos, Magrau and Kellie, with the help of Peace Arch Hospital medical staff, talk about what含羞草研究社檚 about to happen, and physically show each step of every procedure, such as the gel being applied to the ultrasound scanner before the doctor uses it on Magrau含羞草研究社檚 stomach, or how weighted blankets might be used when undergoing a CT scan.

They share little jokes and gags to help make viewers laugh while also explaining everything technical in an easy-to-understand way.

含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 to alleviate their stress and redirect them 含羞草研究社� it含羞草研究社檚 a way for them to see what含羞草研究社檚 going to happen and makes it less scary. If a bird with bright orange legs can do it, then it must not be so scary,含羞草研究社� she said.

Behboudi and Haines note the videos and posters 含羞草研究社� colourful images with QR codes featuring Magrau and Kellie are posted throughout the Peace Arch Hospital ER 含羞草研究社� are free for any hospitals to use or post on their own walls.

含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 free for anyone, definitely,含羞草研究社� Behboudi said, noting the posters with the QR codes are easy to use.

含羞草研究社淜ids come in and they含羞草研究社檙e in pain and scared含羞草研究社� then we含羞草研究社檒l show the Mom or Dad or caregiver the poster(s) and they use their own devices (such as smart phones or tablets) to scan the code and access the video,含羞草研究社� he said.

含羞草研究社淭hen you see them both getting engaged as they watch 含羞草研究社� it helps calm both the parents and the kids.含羞草研究社�

Peace Arch Hospital Foundation executive director Stephanie Beck noted the funding was secured through a grant.

含羞草研究社淭his innovative project was funded through our Peace Arch Hospital and Fraser Health Community Grant stream,含羞草研究社� she said.

含羞草研究社淕rants of this kind aim to support employees of Peace Arch Hospital and Fraser Health Authority who work in White Rock and South Surrey, helping them to enhance patient care or assisting them in funding equipment, projects, or renovations that are not typically funded by Fraser Health.含羞草研究社�

To access the posters and videos, visit their .

tricia.weel@peacearchnews.com
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