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A Special Space
Five years on, the Drop In Centre has seen 20,000 people through its doors
More than 20,000 people have visited a special centre for parents and their sick children in Edinburgh since it opened its doors five years ago.
The Drop In Centre, near the Royal Hospital for Sick Kids, which welcomes around 350 mums, dads and children every month, celebrated its fifth anniversary in May.
Mum Donna Wilson has been visiting the small centre, consisting of a play room and a lounge, for one and a half years. Her ten-year-old son Gary Mair was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) in October 2009 and has been in and out the hospital ever since.
The mum-of-five from Edinburgh said: "Gary is now at home, receiving chemo treatment. We come here every Wednesday for a check-up.
"And when Gary is in hospital for a longer period of time, which happened a few times the past few months, I'm here every day of the week.
"Wednesday is when most children with cancer have their appointment at the clinic and many of them come here, for a coffee and a chat. When you're in the clinic, there are just blank walls.
"I get a lot from it, especially if I've had a bad week and need a pick-me-up. I come here when I'm crying my eyes out, because I know they will understand me here. I actually look forward to the Wednesdays.
"Gary's treatment will go on for at least a year, and knowing that I can be here, makes this much more bearable.
"Gary loves it too. It makes him look forward to come to the hospital, because he knows that, after he has seen the doctor, he can come here, play video games and do arts and crafts."
Gary said: "I like coming here. I can also visit the Drop In when I'm in hospital. They take you here sometimes in the evening.
"I can play with the Wii and make loads of stuff. And when I can't come here because I'm too sick, I get a goody bag."
Support
Esther McKendrick's daughter Kia Mercer, 3, was diagnosed with ALL in May 2009. Her treatment finishes in a few months.
The mum from Bonnyrigg said: "Kia is definitely going to get the all clear. She's a wee fighter. She's been in hospital for exactly two years -- since she was just 18 months.
"I have been coming here for about a year and a half. I wish I'd come here earlier.
"It took me a while to get here, but it is hard to leave your child when she's in hospital, so the first six months I couldn't make it.
"I've cried here quite some times, but it is mostly happy. Just seeing Kia out of hospital environment, be happy and play, is great. She's usually in the play room and I hardly see her.
"I think will keep coming here after treatment, to help other mums, just by being there."
Wendy Campbell from Edinburgh does exactly that. The treatment of her 7-year old daughter Eve Ferguson has just finished. The school girl is in remission.
She said: "I've been coming here for three years. I was in hospital constantly and it's nice to be able to leave the ward for a while and just sit here. You can talk, but if you just need to sit and be quiet, that's fine too.
"There is not much sadness here. People will cry of course, but they always get comforted.
"I always came here when I was down. I knew I would feel better by the time I left. With bad news, this is the first place you'd want to come. This was also my first stop when my daughter left the hospital after her last treatment."
Laughter
Manager Helen Taylor runs the centre, together with three other employees, three therapists and 11 volunteers.
She said: "You never know who is going through the door, and with what news. Every family's situation changes on a daily basis. It's lovely to see them coming to the end of a treatment.
"There is some bad news of course, but children in general bounce back so quickly. There is always laughter, regardless of the situation.
"Many people keep coming when the treatment has finished. That is the hardest time, because all of a sudden they are on their own, alone in their own home.
"This is also a place where the children from the hospital come. If they're well enough, they can come here in the evenings and relax. They can do anything, watch tv, play games or simply do nothing.
"In the winter months, when no other children are allowed on the wards, they can also arrange here to meet up with their friends, brothers and sisters."
Janice MacKenzie, Chief Nurse, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh, said: "The centre is an important part of the hospital.
"Visiting a hospital is not an easy experience.
"Over the past five years the drop-in centre has provided patients, parents and siblings somewhere to escape from the ward to relax, play and share experiences with others."
