Parents share gratitude to paediatric team this National Children’s Day | News

As the country marks National Children’s Day, Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust is celebrating the dedication of its paediatric teams by sharing the gratitude of a parent whose five year old daughter received “the best care” during a recent hospital stay.
 
Esha Bi, an NHS employee who works at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary, has spoken about the exceptional experience her daughter, Leeyah, received when she was admitted for a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy on Gate 46 at Pinderfields Hospital.
 
Esha explained that she and her husband felt anxious ahead of their daughter’s surgery, but the team on the ward transformed the experience for all of them. She said: “As a mother, taking your five year old child for a surgical procedure – however routine – is daunting and scary. But the staff on the ward took all the anxieties and stress away and were amazing with Leeyah. From the moment we walked onto the ward, every staff member greeted us with a smile and made her feel so comfortable and special.”
 
She described how staff explained everything clearly, supported the whole family and created a calm, child friendly atmosphere: “Leeyah absolutely loved the facilities the ward offered. After being seen by the Anaesthetist and ENT teams, she wasted no time going to the playroom and chill room. The staff were amazing with her – they played with her, appeased her every request, and made her feel so at ease.”
 
Reflecting on the surgical process itself, Esha added: “The walk to theatre felt like the longest walk of my life, but Leeyah was chatting and playing with the nurses, without a care in the world. In the anaesthetic room I sat with her while she was cannulated, and the Anaesthetist was amazing - she didn’t even flinch because she was too busy playing a game with the nurse.
 
“Beyond this, the aftercare we received was second to none. The nursing team could not do enough for her, ensuring she had everything she needed and even wanted. She was fussed over and made to feel like a true princess for the day. When it was time to go home, she asked if we could visit again the next day!”
 
As both an NHS colleague and a parent, Esha said she was deeply moved by the professionalism and compassion shown to her family: “I know only too well how NHS staff don’t always get the recognition they deserve. I’ve always been on the staff side of things – but now I’ve witnessed it from a patient and parent side, and I am blown away by the care we received.”
 
Kerry Reede Field, Director of Midwifery, Children’s Nursing and Women’s Health at Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust, said: “Esha’s story reflects the compassion and expertise our children’s teams demonstrate every single day. We are incredibly proud of the outstanding experience provided to Leeyah and her family. I want to sincerely thank Esha for reaching out and sharing her story and gratitude - it means a great deal to our teams. National Children’s Day is a perfect moment to recognise our patients, their families, and the dedicated staff who care for them with such skill and kindness.”