Boy Buzzing as hospital cinema shows new film
A FOUR-YEAR-OLD stuck in hospital got a special treat last week as he was one of the first children in Britain to see the new Buzz Lightyear movie.
Kyle Whitehead was forced to travel to Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary from his Carlisle home for specialist care after complications getting his tonsils meant he needed to stay an extra night on the wards.
Luckily for him and mum Jenna Spark, he was invited to a very special film screening at the RVI MediCinema, meaning they got to see the new Pixar film before it was released in cinemas.
MediCinema is a charity which runs high-end cinemas for young patients in six hospitals around the UK, including the RVI. Its programme is now backed by extra funding from the Newcastle Hospitals Charity.
To mark this, a special screening of the Toy Story spin-off, Lightyear, was held. Disney even provided special gift bags and there was a balloon entertainer.
Kyle, four, was lucky enough to attend and said he had had a “brilliant time”. Mum Jenna added it had really helped him to relax after a difficult few days – and he is now a big Buzz Lightyear fan.
She added: “He’s had a few ongoing issues and had to get his tonsils out.
“So he had to stay in hospital another night and the cinema was a really welcome treat. It kept him occupied and is a nice thing for him to look back on, especially as it’s been a little traumatic for him. It was Kyle’s first cinema experience, and he has not stopped talking about it! He has carried his Disney bag and Buzz Lightyear everywhere with him since.”
Kyle and the other children at the screening were among the first people in the country to see the new film – two days ahead of its general release.
A grant of more than £128,000 from Newcastle Hospitals Charity will help the MediCinema over the next three years and means it will be able to put on an extra film each week – meaning it will now show four.
MediCinema chief operating officer Paul Giggal said of the special screening that he “could not think of a better way to start our new partnership”.
“We know how much of a positive impact it has for the patients to be able to safely leave the wards and watch a movie together with their loved ones,” he said. “It brings a lot of joy and relief to patients, and we are so grateful to the Charity for committing to this threeyear funding support and are incredibly proud to be working together.”
Jon Goodwin, head of grant programmes at Newcastle Hospitals Charity, said: “We know just how valuable the MediCinema is to our patients, and we were delighted to be able to offer our support to this excellent facility.”
At times during the pandemic, with strict restrictions in place and most cinemas closed, the MediCinema at the RVI was the only operating cinema in the country.
The advance screening came about thanks to the help of Disney, which has long supported MediCinema.