Kids Health

Hospital

Many kids are unfortunately already well familiar with hospitals but fortunately, most visits to the emergency are false alarms. There are, however, also many children who have serious medical conditions and this is where our volunteers step in. They hang around with kids in the hospital and provide them companionship that helps reduce homesickness. Our volunteers also organise various workshops and fun events which help the young patients forget about their health problems for a while and bring smiles to their faces. But the Friends of Devon Country Hospital are also active outside the hospital, helping children and their parents realise the importance of a healthy diet and adequate physical activity as well as symptoms to watch for.

Kids’ Health Basics

Just like in adults, many conditions and health problems in kids can be prevented. Our volunteers are therefore working closely with day care centres and schools on the promotion of healthy lifestyle. But rather than holding them boring lectures, our volunteers present kids to healthy diet and promote physical activity through fun activities. We also organise events for both kids and their parents in order to enable them to spend quality time together and learn how to improve their health.

Charity

We are aware that children from low-income families are at increased risk of health problems that may lead to hospitalisation. Their parents often cannot afford to provide them a warm home and sometimes not even proper nutrition, and much less presents at special occasions such as birthdays. In order to help tackle child poverty, a large portion of the funds we raise and donations we receive therefore goes to the most vulnerable members of the society – children. We use the funds to provide children with the basic necessities such as warm clothing, shoes and perhaps a toy or two to play with. Besides donations in money, we and our young friends are of course also happy to accept unwanted clothing, shoes, blankets, toys and other kids products.

Advice for Parents

Kids often know when there is something wrong but they are too young to understand the symptoms their bodies are producing. They usually also do not realise that being healthy must not be taken for granted. Besides providing their children with physical, emotional and social security, their parents are therefore also recommended to make sure that their children eat a healthy and nutritionally balanced diet, promote physical activity and send them to their beds early.

Also highly important is to take kids to regular check-ups to their health care provider in order to evaluate the child’s physical and psychological development as well as to catch early signs of potential health problems. But if the child is having any of the below mentioned symptoms, he/she should immediately be taken to a doctor or emergency: