Children's Hospital staff spend a week in the life of their patients

Date: 02/05/2012. Story submitted by: Gael Stigant

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Staff at Sheffield Children’s Hospital are spending a week living life in the shoes of young patients with Cystic Fibrosis to raise awareness of the debilitating lung condition.

Doctors, nurses and other staff members will spend each day of Cystic Fibrosis Week, which runs until Saturday, taking 60 pretend tablets, doing a two-hour physio session and checking their blood sugar levels four times.

The 12 medics will also inhale nebulised medication twice a day and exercise three times a week like the majority of their patients to understand better what the youngsters have to go through.

Karin Newton, a specialist Cystic Fibrosis (CF) nurse, said: “We really wanted to connect with our patients and learn more about their routines at home.

“This year our team will be doing this exercise and keeping a daily blog to show how they are feeling while they try to integrate the placebo treatment into everyday life.

“CF week is great for us to raise awareness of the genetic condition, as many people don’t understand the effects it has on young children’s lives.”

More than 90 per cent of all children with CF have to under go all of the treatments the staff we be taking.

"Most children with CF can’t digest fats, so they have to take enzymes to help their body cope with food. This can mean up to 12 tablets with every meal. One of our team members will be taking dummy tablets with all their food.”

CF is one of the UK’s most common life-threatening genetic disorders.

The Children’s Hospital, Sheffield treats more than 150 children with CF each year. The condition affects the internal organs, especially the lungs and digestive system, making it hard to breathe and digest food.

The team is also raising money for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust throughout the week, and will be climbing Ben Nevis in September to raise further funds.

Additional info

Address: Western Bank Sheffield South Yorkshire S10 2TH

Tags: Sheffield Children's Hospital, Cystic Fibrosis Week

Web link: http://www.cfweek.org.uk