Kids ward to get spruce-up

Thirteen-year-old Maia Booth has spent 10 years of her life in and out of Palmerston North Hospital’s children’s ward.

Doctors found tumours in her brain when she was just 3 and since then she’s spent plenty of time at the hospital.

Maia’s mother Sarah Elliott said the children’s ward had stayed much the same over the past decade and redecorating it would mean ‘‘everything’’ to children and their families.

‘‘It’ll be great to have new paint and pictures on the wall for the kids to look at – anything to distract them while they’re in here.’’

And now the ward is in for a spruce-up as Countdown’s annual appeal to raise money for children’s hospitals across the country begins this week.

The Countdown Kids Hospital Appeal has been running for 12 years and has raised more than $11 million. The campaign raises money to donate to district health boards, so they can buy essential equipment and refurbish wards.

This year, the Midcentral DHB is aiming to renovate and redecorate Palmerston North Hospital’s children’s ward with new colourful murals and a lick of paint.

It also wants to buy breastfeeding equipment for the neonatal unit and to create a comfortable ‘‘time-out’’ room for parents.

Children’s ward charge nurse Tracy Stone said that redecorating the children’s ward would help create a comfortable environment for patients, their families and hospital staff.

‘‘If the children and their families are happy in the environment, the effect will flow on to the nurses.’’

Last year, the Countdown appeal raised money to buy new playground equipment and a simulator mannequin for nurse training.

The appeal runs until October 28. Donations can be made in Countdown stores.