This month, Emily El-Hawary-Flynn, paediatric oncology clinical nurse specialist at St Peter’s Hospital in Chertsey, talks about her role as hospital ambassador for Momentum:

“Working with children with cancer was always my passion – I wanted to help make a difference to children going through treatment, and their families. I was inspired by a close friend of mine who was diagnosed with Leukaemia at 17 years old, who for years afterwards would fondly spoke of the nurses who looked after her. From the care and compassion they showed her, to making her laugh and smile, they made a huge difference during a turbulent time. It inspired me to be the nurse I am today.

As cliché as it sounds, I love my job – who wouldn’t when you get to work with such warriors and heroes. The bonds formed with our patients are priceless. We support them through the highs and lows of treatment, and the side effects it brings, along with other challenges and unplanned admissions. We build a unique relationship with patients and families, knowing their likes and dislikes, to make their visits more personalised.

At Little Oaks at St Peter’s, we create a safe, relaxed and fun environment for children, young people and their families. Most of the time we find children want to play and have fun, no matter what their diagnosis, and this is something we provide in abundance! A highlight of many of their visits is sending their blood samples off in the ‘space pod’ to be delivered to the labs. Some patients enjoy playing games – Dobble is always a favourite! Other children may like a visit that is calm and quiet.

I have worked closely with Momentum for the last eight years, referring families to the charity. I witness first-hand the positive impact the charity has on our families. From having a mini break in one of the Momentum cabins, a day on their boat on the River Thames, to play and music therapy, counselling, seasonal events, coffee mornings – these are just some of the many things Momentum offers that have made such a difference to families.

My role as hospital ambassador for Momentum involves keeping the team at St Peter’s informed on the charity’s news and letting them know about fundraising events they could get involved with. I also seek out potential external events that might be good for Momentum to attend, to help raise awareness in the local community.

We have a great working relationship with Momentum. Jackie, our family support worker from the charity, is an extension of our team, and she always has a smile on her face. If we have new staff, or student nurses, Jackie or I will tell them about Momentum and the there is also a session about the charity at our oncology foundation study day for nurses. Jackie also has a great relationship with the play specialists from the hospital too so they give her an insight into non-oncology patients and families that may need some support from Momentum.”

A big thank you to Emily, and all our hospital ambassadors for everything they are doing to support Momentum. Find out more about our hospital partnerships here