When eleven-year-old Destiny was brought into the hospital, neither he nor his mother thought they would be spending the next two and a half weeks on the wards of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH). In the eighteen days that felt like months, Destiny would be away from school and his friends, and his mom would be with him, nursing him back to good health.
As Destiny and his mother counted the days,, it seemed like life suddenly took on a bleak outlook. With Nigeria currently battling one of the worst economic downturns in her history, Destiny’s mother not only had to worry about her son getting better and leaving the hospital soon enough, but she also had to think about the piling cost of being in the hospital. Every new day was an expensive shot at good health for her son.
But money and time were not the only costs of Destiny’s admission. In the time he spent in the hospital, there was no freedom to simply go outside and play with peers, explore creative interests, or make memories beyond those of nurses in scrubs coming by his bedside to administer yet another pill or shot.
On the 27th of May, Lluvia Health organized a therapeutic play event for children on admission who couldn’t celebrate the national Children’s Day celebrations organized by their families, schools, or religious bodies as was the custom. Destiny would attend the event that would put an exciting turn on his stay at the hospital. The children’s day play event was a well-curated event for children like Destiny. It involved pottery, painting, puzzle work, and laughter to engage kids in creativity, critical thinking, self expression, and social interactions..
“It was a lovely event. He is always happy when he sees the drawing from the event; he has the picture hanging on the wall, and the molded sculpture is on his window. The nurses even encouraged me to let him continue drawing after the event. There was a big difference in his mood after the event, and it even made him take an interest in arts and drawing. He takes pictures of artwork and has begun practising sketching, and it would help him practise for his technical drawing classes. He has been asking if he can partake in future events.” – Destiny’s mum
Empirical evidence continues to prove that arts and play can help improve health outcomes significantly. Play has a therapeutic effect on hospitalized children and contributes to their physical and emotional wellbeing. Earlier this year, the United Nations in recognition of the importance of play on health and wellbeing for children earmarked a day in celebration of the role of play on the health and wellbeing of children.
No one wants keepsakes from difficult times like prolonged stays in intimidating hospitals, away from all that is familiar. But sometimes, these keepsakes offer a glimmer of hope, serving as a reminder of pockets of happiness during a trying period.
Destiny continues to keep the painting on his room wall and the pot on the window sill. For us, they serve as reminders that creativity knows no time and place, and demonstrate the resilience that children can display when given the opportunity.
