Over the past 18 months, our son Henry has had many visits to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle, where he’s needed multiple operations. As parents, we could not be prouder of how well Henry has coped with all that he has been through. It’s been such a tough time for the family, but Henry has taken it all in his stride. 

One thing that has really helped is the MediCinema at the hospital. After each of Henry’s operations, we have been able to take him to watch a film there. MediCinema became an important part of Henry’s recovery process, taking his mind off being poorly and giving us all quality time together as a family.  

The first time we were invited to the MediCinema, I thought the nurses were joking. I remember thinking “Are you not seeing what I’m seeing? No chance.” Henry was too poorly to walk, and he was bedridden, attached to different tubes and machines. Henry was a bit unsure too. Since his operation, a few days before, he was completely fed up. With three or four days of no talking or smiling, I remember asking myself “when will he go back to being Henry again?”

But the nurses explained that he could go in his bed. Any question I had they had an answer for - everything had been thought through - and they made it seem so straight forward. So, we went for it. The nurses on the ward secured all his lines and machines to his bed and the MediCinema team wheeled him down to the cinema.

It was so great to get out of those four walls, where every minute can feel like an hour. And it was such a relief to know there were nurses in the cinema for the whole movie. There’s no getting away from the fact that we were still in hospital, but we could have a change of scenery and be together in a place that didn’t feel medical. I got a break from thinking about it all and found that, after the screening, I felt more myself – more with it – and so better with Henry too.

I didn’t notice the change in Henry at first. But later that day, after the screening, he started talking to me about the film. He hadn’t been himself since the operation, but when he spoke about the characters, he started to smile again for the first time. His nurse included his MediCinema trip in her handover notes that day, and when the news spread around the ward  he got right into telling everyone else about it all too. Nurses, consultants, cleaners, would say: “I hear you’ve been to the MediCinema?”, or “I’m so jealous you’ve been to see that film! What was the best bit?” From Henry’s point of view, they were talking to him on his level, about something that wasn’t medical. He was just a kid having a normal conversation. To have that sense of normality really helped his recovery from a mental point of view. It helped him get back to himself. Nurses would say “I’ve never known him so chatty!” because he had been so fed up before. But he’d become our chatty 4-year-old again.  I realised just how much MediCinema had really cheered him up and how just getting off the ward had made such a huge difference to his mood and ours.

Our latest visit to the MediCinema was a really different experience due to Covid. During the first couple of hospital stays it was pre-Covid so we could pop to the hospital play areas or the café. We had even been able to bring Henry’s brother, Arlo – who was six months old at the time – to the MediCinema, so Henry could watch his second film in hospital, but with his whole family! This time most things were closed and me and my partner, Matthew, couldn’t swap over, so once we’d made the decision that Matthew, would stay at home with Arlo and I would stay in hospital with Henry, we weren’t able to see each other for a week. It felt like the longest week ever.

Then Henry saw the poster for Trolls World Tour and he was so excited. It’s one of his favourite films and he had even brought his Trolls blanket with him to the hospital. We were so happy when we found out that we had a space at the screening that afternoon. Henry had only just started walking again and so the volunteer brought a wheelchair to the ward. He took one look at it and said: “I’m not going in that. No, I’ll walk.” He was adamant and I still remember the look on his face! But he did it … he walked the whole way, the furthest he had walked in five days. There we were: Henry with his PJs, slippers, dressing gown and Trolls blanket, me checking he was okay and being told he was fine, and the MediCinema volunteer walking along with us, pushing the empty wheelchair the whole way.

Because of the Covid precautions in place, it was a very different experience to the times we’d been before, but it was in no way compromised. The nurses and the MediCinema staff had thought of everything. And because of everything that was going on, being able to go made even more of a difference – it felt even more valuable than before.  

If your child is in hospital, things can get on top of you. MediCinema gave us a chance to get away from all things medical for a bit. We would get back to the ward after watching a film and it didn’t feel like we had been away for a couple of hours – it felt like we had been gone for so much longer. Each time we were welcomed back onto the ward it would be all smiles and questions about our trip to the cinema and things wouldn’t feel quite so doom and gloom anymore. And being able to see the change in Henry since that first MediCinema visit has been amazing; from being wheeled down in his bed, quiet and poorly, to the volunteers bringing him down to a screening in a wheelchair, to most recently seeing Henry walking confidently all the way from the ward to the cinema to see Trolls World Tour. The whole experience, and the care from everyone involved, helped bring our Henry back.

16-year-old Jack was admitted to the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle, for a knee biopsy. Having operated, they found that he had Osteomyelitis – a bone infection – which led to a 16-night stay in hospital, with eight lots of antibiotics a day to kill the infection.

 “My hospital stay was difficult. I missed playing rugby, seeing my friends and being at school. I love all of these things and it was awful to be confined to a hospital bed for 16 days without being able to see anyone, go outside or do anything physical. I was in a lot of pain and found the hospital stay emotionally difficult too – staying in the same room for a full two weeks isn’t good for anyone.”

Jack’s Mum, Anna, was able to stay with him in hospital: “It was a difficult time. Jack was in a lot of pain and initially he didn’t seem to be fighting the infection. Luckily, I was able to stay in the room with Jack and so was able to speak to consultants and nurses regularly which helped enormously. It was a waiting game – the antibiotics needed to kick in, which they did eventually, but it took some time. Due to COVID restrictions Jack was unable to have any visitors so the only people he saw were medical staff. MediCinema provided much needed respite from a hospital room and was a good distraction for a worrying mother and a traumatised teenager.”

Jack remembers the first time they visited the MediCinema: “We knew the MediCinema existed because it’s in a really good place in the hospital – you see it just as you go up the escalators. I thought it was such a great idea. I knew it would bring happiness to many patients, like me, who would be given the chance to get out of their rooms and have something to get excited about and look forward to. So, Mum asked if it was possible for us to go together.

The volunteers who came to pick me up in the wheelchair were kind and chatted to me on the way there. On the way back we discussed the film which was interesting. My Mum really enjoyed it too. It was good for us both to have a change of scene and to have something else to talk about together afterwards – a shared experience. And as soon as it was over, we asked if we could go again. It had made such a difference to both of us and turned our day around, allowing us time out of my room to do something different and interact with other people. I felt so much better after each screening.”

“The whole experience was fantastic”, says Anna. “The volunteer staff were very welcoming and there were medical staff on hand to deal with patients in the event of anything happening during the screening. On one occasion Jack’s knee started bleeding and the staff were able to redress his wound whilst we continued to watch the film. We saw three films during our stay and were very grateful to MediCinema for the much-needed distraction that it gave us.”

“I want to say thank you to MediCinema for giving us both the opportunity to look forward to something” says Jack. “The whole experience has made me realise how important a patient’s mental well-being is when they are in hospital – and MediCinema was a good focus for the day. Without it, every day of my stay would have been pretty much the same. It made a huge difference to my hospital experience and really cheered both me and my Mum up – so thank you.”

Lara visited the MediCinema at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary a few years ago - and then her son Liam was admitted during COVID in 2020. She tells us that during her first visit, she made a friend at the MediCinema that she has kept for life,

A couple of years ago, I was admitted to the Newcastle RVI for three weeks for back surgery. Being able to go to the MediCinema made my hospital experience better. I even remember going along to the hospital café after the screening and having sausage and chips – the whole thing felt like a proper night out … except I was in my pyjamas! It encouraged me to socialise with other patients too. While I was at the screening, I met another patient and, when we got chatting, we realised we were staying on the same ward together. Since then, we’ve become good friends and I still speak to her every day.

More recently, my son, Liam, went into hospital for a routine procedure as a day patient, but they ended up having to keep him in. It was such a surprise to us both. Liam has Asperger’s and he felt unsettled and nervous about having to stay, especially during Covid times when there were no visitors allowed. A few days later he had to be given a feeding tube which made the whole experience even more difficult too.

It was around that time that we were invited to the MediCinema. He wasn’t too sure at first – he was worried about how many people might be in the cinema and he couldn’t imagine what it would be like. But, as I had been before, I could explain that it was dead cosy and just like a proper cinema. So, we went together and it was just what we needed; it was absolutely spot on. We could just watch a film together at the cinema – something that, being in lockdown, we wouldn’t have been able to do outside of the hospital anyway!

I asked Liam if he wanted to add anything and he said the fact that there were so many different types of films on offer throughout the week, for all different ages, really impressed him – he felt it meant that no-one would miss out on such a great opportunity. He also wanted to say that everyone was doing an absolutely fantastic job in such testing times.

So, we would both recommend that, if anyone gets the chance to experience MediCinema, you should jump at it! Because it is absolutely brilliant for patients and families. You walk out those cinema doors after the screening and all of a sudden you think: ‘Oh, I’m in hospital.’ It’s as though MediCinema gives you the chance to forget that you were in hospital at all – without actually having to leave. It made a difficult time for Liam that bit better.

Rosie has been in and out of hospitals for the past two years.   We spoke with her Mum Natasha about their MediCinema experience and what it meant to them both. ⠀
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"I can honestly say that the last two years have been the most terrifying time for us as a family. It’s been a huge upheaval for all of us. Rosie’s latest stay in hospital was to come up to Evelina London to undergo major surgery and afterwards, as each day passed, Rosie became a little stronger and more confident to stand and take her first tentative steps. It was during this week that we learnt about the MediCinema. A lovely member of the MediCinema team came to the ward and put a huge smile on Rosie’s face by inviting us both to a screening of The Lion King, the night before we were due to go home. It was the first time I had heard about MediCinema and I don’t really know what I was expecting, but… it was more. We arrived, and it was an actual cinema! There were arts and crafts, face painting and balloon-making before the film began as well. Rosie loved everything about it and when she came back to the ward, a play specialist helped her make a special Lion King crown, so the experience just kept going. ⠀
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Having the MediCinema made our whole hospital experience better. It was great to break up the routine, but the most important benefit for me was seeing Rosie so happy. She can be quite anxious in hospitals sometimes, but after that film screening, she was on cloud nine. She was buzzing.⠀
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Even though these times have been scary for us all, another thing I’ve really valued about the experience is that it granted me some ‘Me and Rosie’ time. When we were in the MediCinema, we were surrounded by other patients and families, but we didn’t feel like there were any eyes on us; we were all in the same boat. Rosie and I could just sit back and enjoy the film and have a laugh together. She would look up at me whenever there was a funny part and we would both giggle. ⠀
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Why should people donate to this charity? Because of how it made us both feel: happy. After that screening, we had such a warm, happy feeling and just talked about it together all evening. We’ll never forget it."

Kai was born with tracheoesophageal fistula, which means that there are problems linked to his oesophagus and trachea. His condition brings many complications and he can have sudden episodes of respiratory failure.  Since birth, Kai has been in and out of Evelina Children’s Hospital in London. He had an operation on the second day of his life, and has had many more since, to help keep his airways safe. 

"The hospital is our home. We basically live here,” says his Mum, Mei. “When he was born, we were counting the days until we would be able to leave. The days turned to weeks and time kept getting pushed back. Then we just stopped counting. The hospital felt like the safest place for him to be.” 

Mei describes the complications that Kai’s condition can bring: “When Kai struggles to breathe, he is unable to swallow and he can start to really panic. If he panics, his airways collapse, which can complicate even simple procedures. It can be really hard for me to help him. When he had his last episode in the hospital, he just suddenly started crying; he looked grey and so sad. It took a whole group of people to get him back to normal. It took them forty minutes.”

As Kai and his family spend so much time in hospital, Mei explains the significance of MediCinema for them: “Kai is growing up in hospital, so for us it’s so important for him to have as many different experiences as possible. We’re keen not to let his development slip so we want him to see variety and difference and to have the opportunity to interact with others. MediCinema has given him all of these things - exposure to different experiences that he wouldn’t have been able to have.

Firstly, going to a screening in the MediCinema itself is wonderful for him. The first time we went he was very quiet, staring up at the big screen, then suddenly he started jumping around all over the cinema seats and down at the front! He loved the open space and obviously felt comfortable. I found it to be a really relaxed setting too. In fact, whenever we go, I find it to be a relaxing evening.

Mei also describes the benefit that MediCinema’s special events have on Kai and the family: “I took Kai to the Lion King Music and Movement session in the hospital that MediCinema organised with Disney. It was something you would never expect to see in a hospital and it was really special that we could do it together. There was singing and dancing and it was such a different experience for Kai; something completely new and unique he had never experienced before. It all helps with his development, which, as I said before, is such an important thing for us. We’ve also been to the special screenings for Frozen 2 and The Lion King, when the characters visit the MediCinema before the film. Kai loves to go and observe everything and we get to see other children from the wards when we are there too, so it’s a time when he can interact with others. The screenings also encourage us as families to connect with each other too and we’ve made friends there. There were goody bags for us after the Lion King event and afterwards back on the ward we starting chatting about how great they were with another family. Then we ended up switching cuddly toys so that Kai could have the Simba lion and the young girl in the bed next to us could have the Nala!”

Mei remembers some of the thoughtful touches during these special events and the lasting impact they had: “We had to leave early from the Frozen 2 screening, but I remember someone from MediCinema came to find us on the ward and gave us a printed-out photo of me and Kai with the characters in a special frame. I really appreciated that touch, because it meant that we would always have a reminder of the night, a memory we could keep. It’s the same with the activity book we were given after the Lion King event. Kai is too little to read the book now, but it’s so bright and colourful and again, it’s something that he will be able to look at in the future, and be reminded of positive experiences he had in the hospital, that his life has been filled with these special moments.

Thank you to MediCinema for helping to make Kai’s life more joyful and more colourful. Despite what is going on, experiences like these mean that his life is still full of positivity and enjoyment and we have all been able to create special, lasting memories together.”

Brave Theodore and his Mum, Natasha, have been coming to the MediCinema at St Thomas' Hospital for four years. Natasha sat down with us to share their experiences: ⠀
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“We have been in and out of the Evelina Children’s Hospital since Theodore was 18 months old. He’s now six and a half and he’s had about 15 operations in that time. Anyone who has met him will definitely agree that he is one of the most out-going children ever – he will talk to anyone about anything and everything. But he also suffers from anxiety when he’s in hospital, for various reasons, and especially when he has an operation.⠀
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MediCinema is an amazing service and one that has been so beneficial for Theodore. It's given us something to look forward to, to talk about together – something other than hospital things. On multiple occasions, Theodore has been unable to walk too far or sit properly after an operation, but he hasn’t had to miss out - he has been able to come to the MediCinema in his hospital bed, he can just be comfortable.⠀
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One of the most recent films we watched there was Dolittle. It was before one of Theodore’s operations and it turned out to be the perfect film for him to have watched. Theodore’s anxiety gets worse when he has to put a mask on to put him to sleep for an operation. In the film, there is a squirrel called Kevin who is injured and he is put to sleep using a mask and wakes up feeling better. That part of the film obviously resonated with Theodore, because the next day, he called himself ‘Kevin the Squirrel’ and for the first time we were able to take him down to theatre looking and feeling more relaxed and calmer than ever before. ⠀
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We will never forget that MediCinema, without even realising it, helped our hospital journey that day more than ever! I will forever be thankful to the team, and all of the volunteers, for everything they have done for us.”

‘MediCinema is a charity that does good things for the soul.’

Fiona’s son, Darach, was diagnosed at birth with Pulmonary Atresia with ventricular septal defect (VSD) and had his first surgery at two days old. Since then, he has had five heart surgeries, three of which have been open heart, as well as an operation to fit a pacemaker, so he has been in and out of hospital for his whole life. Most recently, Darach was admitted to the Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow, with infective endocarditis, a very serious infection in the heart which kept him in hospital for almost seven weeks, and most of the summer holidays. Fiona explains how difficult long hospital stays are for the whole family:

‘You miss the simple, normal things like going for a walk with your dog, talking to your friends, cooking, being outside, having movie nights at home with the family. You’re not that busy when you are in hospital with your child, you have far too much time to think and that amplifies all your fears. Once you’re on it, it’s difficult to get off the worry wheel, especially when you haven’t had much sleep either; at times you don’t have the mental stamina to stop the worrying.

‘That’s why distractions are so beneficial. The first time we came to MediCinema was the night before his pacemaker was due to be fitted, and we were quite stressed about the surgery the next day, but after that first screening, we felt really uplifted. We had that relief; we’d been able to escape and have a nice treat together. It really took our minds off of the looming surgery.

‘Now going to the cinema is a special treat and something Darach can look forward to when he knows he’s coming into hospital. He thinks about it all week and it really cheers him up.

‘For the Men in Black: International screening it was my older son’s birthday, and we wondered if it would be OK if he came along, but the ward staff told me that it was for the whole family to enjoy together, especially as we’d had such a stressful time and it was exactly why we deserved to go. It was so lovely to be able to spend time with the whole family.

‘It was important for Darach, as part of his recovery, and for my youngest son, Stroan aged nine. The boys are really close, and he was at home with Granny and Grandpa all week while we were in hospital with Darach, so for four weeks we didn’t see him from Sunday to Friday. It was great for him to be involved – for him to have special time with all of us so he wouldn’t feel left out. An ill child gets so much attention from everyone and the younger siblings can feel left out or at times even a bit jealous. Going to MediCinema was a chance for Stroan to feel included and share a laugh with his brother. Seeing the brothers laughing together was so heart-warming and we felt so grateful and lucky.

‘I have experienced first-hand how valuable MediCinema is – when we think of health charities we tend to think of the big organisations that focus on the body and prevention of disease, but the mind is key to healing and recovery too. Going to the cinema is something most people would take for granted but under these circumstances, it brought the greatest happiness to Darach and played a big part in his recovery. I think MediCinema really is the best thing in the hospital to help the kids, and we are so grateful to have benefited from it.’

Eight-year-old Pollyanna had to spend 105 days, including Christmas and New Year, in the Royal Victoria Infirmary while she recovered from her life saving bone marrow transplant. Her mum, Claudine, spoke to us about the difference MediCinema made at this difficult time:

'When Pollyanna was in the Bubble, she couldn’t leave the room until her neutrophils (a type of white blood cell) started coming up to a certain level. She was in the room for around five weeks and being able to look forward to seeing a film when she was allowed to leave was amazing.

'Once Pollyanna was in "purple isolation”, she could leave the Bubble and the first thing she did was go to MediCinema. She was so excited to receive her magic ticket!

'Since that day, we were able to access MediCinema as a family on the weekends and it was something wonderful to look forward to. We spent Christmas and New Year away from home, much to the disappointment of the girls, so seeing lovely Christmas films helped to alleviate sadness and sorrow. I remember watching “Mary Poppins Returns” and Pollyanna was not only counting the sleeps till the film, but has been singing the songs ever since!

'Pollyanna loves going to the cinema and after such a horrid year, we finally could make some lovely memories of watching films together. One of the most memorable moments was when Pollyanna saw another child who looked like her in the MediCinema. While in the Bubble, Pollyanna wasn’t allowed to come into contact with other children and even though we were telling her that the other nine kids in the unit had no hair and wore masks and had nasogastric tubes in, she didn’t believe us. It was quite special when she saw another child like her.

'We returned to Leeds on 14th Jan 2019, after 105 days of being away from home. Consultants told us she probably won’t remember much of her time at RVI. We will, but she will remember our exciting trips to MediCinema, and we will all fondly remember our MediCinema friends, who were warm and welcoming and looked after us during each of our visits to the cinema.

'Please donate whatever you can, as MediCinema could make such a difference to critically ill children. It gives a few hours of joy to everyone attending, who are usually having a really awful time. We miss MediCinema, it made a huge difference to Pollyanna and all of us during our time in hospital.'

Claudine, Pollyanna’s mum

'The CW+ MediCinema has been like a beacon for me during the roughest storm of my life. When you are a culture vulture like me and discover your life has been stolen from you through no fault of your own, it's harrowing, shocking. Then on top of that the things you could do to comfort yourself, like go to the movies, become a minefield. Navigating stairs, public transport, rough and ready "Joe public" when you need oxygen, wheelchair and gentleness, it's intimidating.

 

'I arrived at hospital depressed and very down. I was amazed when palliative care told me such a facility, complimentary or by donation, existed. I'd not been to the cinema in six months - rough going for a weekly "Meerkat movie" girl! It was like being thrown a lifeline. I was "me" again. You've no idea how precious that is when you might only have months to live. To be yourself. I was able to create new memories for my friends and family while doing something we all take for granted when life is easy, and all from a very safe space so I could relax, and, naturally, they could too, as I knew help was at hand if something went wrong.

 

'My cancer has been so hard on those who care about me, but when I get taken to the CW+ MediCinema, shown to my seat and made cosy, I'm not Yasmin with terminal lung cancer, I'm just "me" again and I blossom, and, I'm excited, and for a few hours we can just be friends and family enjoying a movie again. It has meant everything to me. We are wreathed in escapism and the nurses and volunteers are amazing. I don't worry about a single thing. The team collect me and take me back to bed. My nurses see me come back with a big smile on my face.

 

'I was recently able to enjoy a short-notice private screening of Bohemian Rhapsody, a film I'd been desperate to see, it amazed me that was made possible. Despite everything I am enduring it was the happiest I had been in ages. That was all I was conscious of. The gift of it. My brothers and friend by my side, exchanging anecdotes, a bit of banter!

 

'MediCinema is a genuine godsend, I wish all hospitals had one, I think it would do patients and staff the nation over the world of good. I've seen patients wheeled in lying on beds wearing the biggest smiles. You cannot put a price on that. I'm so grateful to the generosity of the film industry and the teams that make this happen. Thank you for what you have done for me and the people I love. Long may you continue, transforming the lives of moviegoers great and small!'

'I am a property developer and a workaholic. One day I was checking out this property, which was in need of some repairs, and the stairs leading down from the front door were extremely steep. As I left the property and tried to lock the door, I lost my footing and tumbled backwards and broke my neck, although I didn’t realise that at the time. I was with a colleague and I said to him, "Put the seats down in the car and I will roll my jacket up into a pillow", and like that we headed to the hospital. The next thing I remember was coming round from surgery with the doctor telling me there was a 50/50 chance I would never walk again or maybe even never move again. At that point I was paralysed from the neck down. The next day they brought in a spinal column to show me where my injury was, I have broken my 6th and 7th vertebrae.

'I had no power in my limbs/fingers and found that really frustrating. I couldn’t give my wife a cuddle. I have been here for seven months now and things are progressing, but I miss my wife, Tracey, and work, terribly. I sing and play 12 string guitar in a band called Black n Tan and the damage to my spine had caused injury to my fingers. I have tried to keep a positive attitude, I have kept trying tried to adjust to the circumstances but of course there are times when I didn’t feel like the man I once was and that can be a dark place.

'I was asked by the staff in the ward if I wanted to go to the cinema and I was thinking, there is no way I could go, I can’t get in and out of taxis, I can’t stay in my chair that long! I had no idea it was actually in the hospital building! I was absolutely overwhelmed at the thought of it, it was a feeling of sheer excitement.

'The MediCinema was a million times better than I thought. I was gobsmacked by the luxuriousness. The presence of nurses made me feel very secure and comfortable being there. The size of the screen, the quality of the picture and the sound were all amazing and everyone was quiet! The cinema is now MY form of entertainment, it’s addictive for me to attend. I just so look forward to Tuesdays and Thursdays each week. The staff even organised a special licence of Peter Rabbit and screened it for my wife and I. We had a date at the movies and a cuddle.

'I have kind of become an ambassador for MediCinema and I talk to all the patients in the spinal unit and try to talk them into coming along. When they do come I say to them, ‘now you have to talk somebody else into coming’.

'They pump us full of painkillers when what I am saying is the cinema is the highlight of my week. People who have the experience can see light at the end of a dark tunnel. We can experience something which is happening in the outside world and feel in a sense we are not missing out. It’s amazing to have that opportunity.'

When the Taylors' son, Joseph, was just one week old, he was admitted to Evelina London Children's Hospital with bronchitis and pneumonia. He was put on a heart bypass machine, which did all the work for his heart and lungs for five weeks, including over the Christmas period, but sadly Joseph passed away.

His mum, Jo, explained how MediCinema helped them all at such a difficult Christmas:

'There was nowhere really for Joseph's brother and sister, aged five and two and a half to stay, and when they visited it was quite hard, especially as it was Christmas time.

'So for my husband to take them to the MediCinema was amazing, really. As they were so young, a trip to the cinema was really exciting for them. It’s a positive memory from that time. My daughter still remembers it five years later.

'We couldn’t take Joseph, but we know that anything to brighten or normalise that time is so important – for patients to be able to lose themselves in a film – you can’t put a price on that.

'Hospital for parents is so stressful – to do something normal, you have no idea, it was totally invaluable. Even now, five years later, I’m really grateful.'

When Heather McKerrell’s three-year-old daughter, Jessica, had to have open heart surgery in the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow, MediCinema proved to be a lifeline for the whole family. But it was Jessica’s older brother, Aaron, who got the most out of their family trips to MediCinema. Heather explains:

'Jessica was born with multiple heart defects. Her surgery was two days before her third birthday and we were in hospital for a total of 12 days.

'Initially when we were invited to the cinema I admit I was slightly apprehensive. However it turned out to be one of the best things we did. If we hadn’t it would have been one of my biggest regrets and life would be so different for us.

'It was actually my son Aaron that coming to the cinema helped the most. CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) gave a lot of input for Aaron. He was having a really difficult time. If anything the whole hospital experience was more traumatic for him than it was for Jessica herself. His life was turned   upside down by everything that was happening. Going into ICU is very intimidating and scary. At eight you are old enough to understand it is serious. You have an understanding, but without fully understanding. Watching your sister and family go through this, it is so difficult to be able to communicate how you are feeling and put things into words. We also live over an hour away from the hospital, so he had to either stay with relatives or travel a lot to and from the hospital.

'When you have an ill child, it is very easy for siblings to feel like everything is about their brother or sister and not them. And coming to the MediCinema meant he could have time with his mummy. I had been having to spend all my time with Jessica, so it was wonderful to have quality time with him. This was two hours just for Aaron. Gave him a sense of being. Coming to the cinema allowed him just to be himself. To escape.

'It has now been almost two years and he still talks about it. He has written at least half a dozen essays in school about his trip to the cinema with the colourful seats. He doesn’t speak about the hospital at all, but does still talk about the film and the MediCinema.

'Aaron no longer has CAMHS support and he himself claims the MediCinema did it.'

David was in hospital for a quarter of a year with an infection in his spine. He explains what that was like and how MediCinema helped:

‘I suddenly woke up with this intense pain in my back and it just continued and continued. I simply couldn’t stand it, and so I hobbled up to Charing Cross Hospital. I was given pain killers, but then about six weeks later my legs started to feel very wobbly - like shivers, spasms, going up my legs. I simply could not walk. I was on my hands and knees, no power, in agony, pains thudding into my back all the time. I thought I was going to die.

‘I came to Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and was here for 12 weeks including two weeks rehabilitation, trying to get this pain down and get me walking again. I couldn’t walk, I had to learn again; but the pain prevented me from really getting into it. I’d be screaming in pain.

‘When I found out there was a cinema in the hospital I was astonished! I thought it might be a room with a large screen. It’s a real cinema! It’s exactly the same as if you went to a multiplex cinema. It’s a real cinema with a brilliant screen, and comfortable seating, and more importantly - you have room for beds. And every time I go, I go in my bed. It’s just like going to the movies… well it is! It is going to the movies! You can be here and can forget about everything - I don’t feel any pain in my back when I’m in the cinema. I’m in my bed and I’m comfortable.

‘Trevor, in the bed next to me in the cinema, is in the same business. (Trevor is a screenwriter and David is an actor). We’ve never met before but we chatted as though we knew each other. We’ve met twice in the cinema now and we speak as if we’ve been away for a while and we just picked up again.

‘This is the first time I’ve been ill. I’m getting used to it now but in the beginning the whole thing was alien to me. My spirits were very low when I came in here. After the first movie I saw here I came back to the ward and there were people chatting about their lives and things, the screens were drawn, and I just broke down and cried because I felt so sorry for myself, and one of the nurses said “Are you crying about the film David?” and I said no I was not, I was just being self-indulgent. I couldn’t help it. I just wept because I had seen the world I am out of temporarily, putting everything on hold.

‘Seeing a real cinema in a hospital, and screening the movies you screen, to me it was a revelation. A total joy. It gives you a more uplifting experience than anything you can imagine.’

As well as sharing his story with us, David has also agreed to be one of our new patient ambassadors and as such spoke about his experiences at a recent event. Meeting David and hearing him tell his story really brought home to all our guests the importance of MediCinema and the enormous difference our screenings make to patients’ lives. If you’ve been a MediCinema patient and would like to share your story or find out more about becoming a patient ambassador, we would love to hear from you. Please email: info@medicinema.org.uk to get in touch. 

'I have chronic conditions that constantly flare up and bring me into hospital which means I’m in hospital probably more than I’m at my actual home. 

'What people don’t realise is that the day here for us is the same every day - breakfast at 7, then you have a wash, then you see the doctors, then afternoon nap, then you’ve got your dinner, they you’ve got medication, then you’ve got bedtime. And it’s the same thing every day. And you think ‘I’m stuck in a circle and I can’t do anything’. And you feel too sick, and you can’t go outside in case you catch a cold. 

'So MediCinema has been great. When I found out about it and was asked "Do you want to go to the cinema?" I was like "Yeah!" I want to get off the ward, I want to feel like I’m actually doing something normal, because I used to go to the cinema all the time with my friends. And then here at MediCinema, afterwards, it was so nice to talk to everyone about the film, and it’s such a friendly atmosphere that it takes you away from what you’re going through on the ward. Whatever you’re going through on that day you always know that come Tuesday or Thursday you can go to the cinema and have a really good time. They’re the days I look forward to. I’m like ‘What film’s on this week?’

'Sometimes I go with my husband, Rick. The first time he went in he was like ‘Woah! This is an actual cinema!’ I was like ‘I told you!’He was assuming it would be a room with a TV set up! 

'It’s nice to have him sit on the bed with me and just cuddle up like we would at home on the sofa. It’s like we’re back at home rather than in a hospital. It gave us that time as a couple that we are missing out on with me being in hospital. It was nice to make a date night of it. We’re in a cinema, enjoying it like a normal couple.

'That’s not my husband in the photograph! That’s Vincenzo, one of the nurses. I love talking to Vincenzo about the films we’ve seen. Yesterday, after Dunkirk, we had about an hour's discussion! 

'In hospital, I didn’t have connection with the outside world. I didn’t feel like I was living. And it’s things like going to the cinema that take you away from this place; the medications, the monotony of the day. At least with the cinema, you can go there, you know the nurses, you know they will help you, and you know you can just relax and stop thinking about what’s going on back in the ward.

'I’m not being funny, but if I didn’t have the cinema, my cheese would have slipped off my cracker.'

When two-year-old Alexander couldn’t stand up a few days after catching chickenpox, the out-of-hours doctor sent him straight to A&E in Watford where they found he had septic arthritis in his knee. He was rushed in an ambulance to Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, 15 miles away. There, he was kept in isolation for fourteen days and only left his room to have operations or tests.

His mum Gabby slept beside him in a pull-out bed every night while his dad stayed at home with his sister.

‘I only saw my daughter twice in two weeks,’ said Gabby.

‘Trying to get Alexander to sleep was very difficult. At the beginning he couldn’t eat, so I couldn’t eat in front of him. He couldn’t walk, so it was difficult to keep him entertained.’

Gabby saw a poster for MediCinema in the lifts. ‘It’s a genius idea. I never would have imagined there was an actual cinema inside the hospital.

The first time Alexander was allowed to leave his room, he went to MediCinema.

‘You instantly don’t feel like you’re in a hospital, even though there are people with drips, etc., you’re taken out of the hospital environment. The actual cinema is really lovely – bright and colourful.

‘For him to get out of the room for a decent amount of time was so good. Everybody he saw at hospital he was wary of because he thought he was going to be poked or prodded, but once he settled down he was really excited. He crawled for the first time in two weeks. It was really nice for him to see other children, too, and I was really excited myself!

‘For me, it was nice to chat to other parents and watch something other than CBeebies! It made me switch off.

‘You shouldn’t underestimate the difference even a little bit of help can make. Plus for parents of children – it’s hard work. You forget that yourself. You need to make sure you keep yourself sane. MediCinema does exactly that.

‘You can’t underestimate the difference it can make to a family – to be in the cinema but still safely in hospital. Thank you so much.’

Syeda was a normal 20 year old when she caught an infection which would change her life forever.

 'All of my organs collapsed, and I suffered from sepsis which resulted in me having multiple amputations, including losing both legs above the knee. For a long time, the doctors labelled me as ‘clinically dead’.

‘Before I fell ill I was your average 20 year old – going to university, going out with friends and enjoying life. When I fell ill, all of that was taken away from me. It was so hard being stuck in the same position, staring at the same four walls every day for months on end, just wishing for a change of scenery.

 'MediCinema gave me a break from the monotony. It was what I would look forward to every Saturday and I remember counting down the hours till it was time to go again! Even if it was only for a couple of hours, it gave me the opportunity to feel like me again, to feel normal. It’s the only place in such a huge building of struggles and pain where you will hear so much laughter and see so many smiles. It felt like a community, where patients from so many different wards, each with their different journeys, would come together and forget what they were going through. I met so many other patients through the service, before the film starts the atmosphere is buzzing and everyone is talking. It’s a place to relax and share your own story, but also listen to others and be there for someone because you understand what they are going through.’

Becky has sepsis for which she has needed decompression surgery on her spine and is due to have neurosurgery. She has been in the Royal Victoria Infirmary for about five weeks and has visited the MediCinema at least four times.

‘MediCinema makes a huge difference. It brings a feeling of normality as it gets you out of your hospital room and allows you to see different people, which I think is really positive.

‘I admit there are times I have felt low, especially when the surgery I was scheduled for was postponed and my parents had to return to their home in Edinburgh 120 miles away, but MediCinema has helped.

‘During the day I have approximately four hours of visiting time to look forward to in 24 hours, so it makes a difference being able to see other people outside of visiting hours.

‘As my parents live so far away it’s not always easy for them to visit and MediCinema gives me something else to look forward to, and when they are here we can go to the MediCinema and do something ‘normal’ with them rather than sit in the hospital ward.

 ‘I have just seen a film and am already looking forward to the next screening!’

Robert is 31 and has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a genetic condition that gradually causes muscles to weaken progressively over time. He was admitted to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Glasgow on the 14th May after suffering a bout of pneumonia so severe his heart stopped for two minutes in A&E. 

Robert was fitted with a tracheostomy and ventilator which saved his life but had a huge effect on his ability to move around and made him very anxious about leaving the ward.

After four months he was still in the Intensive Therapy Unit (ITU). He hadn’t left the ward once.

His nurses approached us about having a screening for Robert to give him some time off the ward, something to look forward to and hopefully ease his troubles.

We visited Robert, and after explaining about MediCinema to make him comfortable with the idea of leaving the ward, were delighted to be able to arrange a special private screening for him. Sci-fi fan Robert even got to pick the film he wanted too!

After his first MediCinema experience Robert said:

'I really appreciated being able to visit the cinema and to see a film after spending so long in hospital (over 16 weeks so far) and it was quite an experience.  It was also wonderful to spend time with my parents as a family like we would do had I been at home. It brought a sense of normality back into my life that has been sorely lacking in the months I have been in hospital.  I am very much looking forward to repeating the experience! Thank you very much for the opportunity to make being in hospital a little more bearable.”

Since the first visit, Robert has had several further visits and hopefully will have many more. His parents, Eunice and Robert Sr, who accompany Robert to the screenings with his specialist nurses, added:

'It meant a lot to us as parents to see our son smile again after such a long time stuck in Intensive Care. It gives us a chance to do something together as a family that isn’t hospital related and is a little bit of normality in what is going to be a long ongoing struggle back to health for our son.'

Laura, one of the nurses who organised Robert's screening was on shift the day of his first screening and contacted us to say:

'I have just come on for nightshift and the difference in Robert’s mood is amazing! I can't thank you enough for putting everything in place and making this happen for him. Sounds like it all ran smoothly and his family and staff who escorted were saying what a fantastic facility the cinema is and how well it is run. Thank you so much again I'm sure I'll see you again soon as I think this may be the start of regular visits for Robert! He is already thinking about next week!'

 Ruth, Senior Charge Nurse added: 'Robert was the happiest we have seen him since admission to ITU so thank you for all your help and support. This change of mood and positivity is infectious and we can already see the big difference this is making to Robert.'

68-year-old Mr. Levy, a Parkinson's sufferer, spent considerable periods of time at St. Thomas' Hospital in London, where he was treated for his condition and the injuries he sustained after a fall in his home.

Mr. Levy has no family - his partner died several years ago - and, although he values the care he received at St. Thomas', as he says, "No one likes being in hospital." He found the months on the ward difficult and lonely. "There's not a lot to do really: watch television; go to your room and read a book; sleep."

Mr. Levy first heard about MediCinema when the Cinema Manager at St. Thomas' was on her ward round telling his neighbours about the film on show that evening. "And she said, 'Would you like to come along?' And I said, 'Yes, I'd like to get away from the hospital environment - just for an hour.' It relaxes the mind. You seem to forget you're in hospital; you're concentrating on the film."

It turned out that Mr. Levy was a film enthusiast and a big fan of musicals (his favourite film isThe King and I). Over the following months and up until his discharge from the hospital Mr. Levy attended every single screening, soon becoming a favourite with the MediCinema nurses and volunteers - especially with the ladies! Whatever the film, Mr. Levy was one of the first patients down. "I'd think, 'It's a film. I'm not on the ward. I'm here with other people. Thank God.'"

Mr. Levy says what he values most about MediCinema is the "friendly surroundings". "MediCinema does a lot. Going into hospitals you brighten people's life up...sometimes it's [patients'] only means of getting to the outside world... In my case it was about finding people who care."

Mr. Levy now lives in a residential home where he receives the round-the-clock care and support he needs. But he would love to visit a MediCinema again and would like to see MediCinemas in care homes as well as in hospitals. "I know when I went to the cinema I'd come back and I was so happy. I used to sleep like a log. I was content I had been in a cinema...where I was known [to be] ill.

"[The other patients] enjoyed going to the cinema. It got them away from the ward. It got them away from the clatter of noise on the ward; the screams sometimes of patients in the dark. [MediCinema] must be a comfort to lots of people, especially the lonely."

In July 2011 Corporal Matt Webb was on patrol in Helmand Province in Afghanistan when he stepped on an IED. He lost both legs and his left arm.

Following his injuries Matt was treated at the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC) at Headley Court in Epsom. Over the past two years he has learnt to walk again and regain the use of an arm through prosthetics.

When he heard about the plans to open a MediCinema at Headley Court, Matt thought – like so many of the patients there – that it would just be a “room with a TV…and I was amazed that it was a proper, miniature cinema.”

Matt is a big fan of the cinema – especially of the comedy nights and sing-along screenings we hold at Headley Court as they are “a great way to chill out with the guys”. For many of the service personnel who undergo the demanding rehabilitation programme at the centre the evenings can be a lonely and difficult time. “Film just makes you feel better and makes you forget what you’ve been doing for that day.”

Matt has kindly allowed us to tell his story as part of our new series of cinema commercials which look at how MediCinema is benefiting patients all over the country. As Matt says, “It would be great if MediCinema was further afield than in just a few hospitals around the UK.”

Please help us continue to support people like Matt, people who aren’t able to visit their local cinema, by donating £3 towards a MediCinema ticket. Text MEDI03 £3 to 70070.

Uzayr was born with a complicated renal condition; his kidneys just didn't work. When he was three, they began to fail and he travelled to the Evelina Children's Hospital in London three days a week for life saving dialysis.  

Uzayr recently had a kidney transplant and due to the serious nature of his condition needed expert medical care, visiting the hospital every day for treatment.

He's never been on holiday and rarely gets to enjoy social experiences with his friends so a visit to MediCinema was a chance for Uzayr forget about his treatment but a time to socialise with his family and friends.

Shafina, Uzayr's Mum said "Like many families, we could not travel the long distance from home to the hospital on such a regular basis so we needed to relocate to London for treatment, moving away from family, friends and school for long periods of time .

MediCinema has given us the precious opportunity to enjoy regular family outings that bring us laughter and fun at very difficult times".

Uzayr added, "MediCinema is a fantastic way for children like myself to forget about our worries and pains. As the other children there have different health issues, if somebody cries or coughs no one minds because we all understand. For me, as soon as that door closes I am in a different world. I forget all about my pain."

Uzayr is still undergoing treatment and visits the MediCinema often. 

"Hi, my name is Aneurin. I am 15 years old and I love my school because I have lots of good friends there and the teachers and supports are really terrific. They make my school-life so cool and what's great is - we even have a lunch-time film club once a week.

I have dyspraxia and A.S. which basically means I like order and routine, I'm not a big fan of change and interaction can sometimes be a bit of a challenge for me: with the help and support I get at school and the fantastic new Serennu Children's Centre, life is good!

My great interest is film, media and going to the cinema to catch up on all the latest releases - I really enjoy researching movies and writing reviews of the films I watch. I seem to be able to remember massive amounts of 'film facts'. I also write a regular 'film file' for Newport'sWicked News publication, in which I preview all forthcoming releases, and I am one of the members of the editorial team (thanks for the break)…

The Serennu Children's Centre is a fantastic facility, it's a bit of a 'one-stop-shop' where you can access everything you need under one roof: all the  treatment you require as well as having lots of great leisure activities such as football, self-defence, a youth club and, for me, the icing on the cake has to be the newly opened MediCinema. It was like all my Christmases had come at once - being asked to the MediCinema's first film screening and getting the opportunity to watch the new Ice Age 4: Continental Drift film in 3D.

My biggest honour was being asked to cut the ribbon for the opening screening; a day to remember.

The cinema is awesome. Every time I've visited the Serennu the cinema has been "work-in-progress". Well, I can honestly say this was definitely something worth waiting for. A truly amazing facility, a unique experience and one I intend to repeat many times.  Not only a fabulous feast for the eyes but a truly immersive experience - a place you can come to, forget your troubles and lose yourself in a world of fun and fantasy.

I am so proud to be associated with the MediCinema charity and the wonderful pleasure and joy it will bring to so many families who use the Serennu Children's Centre."  Aneurin Davies