Radio 1 DJ Sara Cox put a smile on the faces of young patients when she joined Dick Whittington and his cat in a children’s ward at St Mary’s Hospital.
Sara and the panotmime characters met staff and patients last week, including 10-year-old Lorik Berjani, pictured, to help launch the Heinz ‘Get Well’ soup campaign in association with children’s charity Starlight, which provides fun, laughter and distraction to sick children.
Starlight will be performing 65 pantomimes in UK hospitals and hospices this Christmas.
Sara said: “It’s such a lovely feeling to see these kids’ faces light up with something as simple as a little entertainment.”
She chatted to some of the young patients alongside actor Christian Edwards, who appeared as Dick Whittington, and Joanne Cummins as his cat.
Sarah Wheatland, lead paediatric nurse, said: “The visit by Sara and the Dick Whittington characters was a real treat for our patients. Events like this are a fantastic opportunity to help us improve the patient experience and children in hospital really benefit from the entertainment provided by our play specialists and Starlight.”
For every can of Heinz ‘Get Well’ soup purchased via the Facebook page www.facebook.com/HeinzSoupUK, Heinz will donate to Starlight’s Christmas entertainment programme.
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