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In 2020 I founded Fly Me Stories to send personalised stories to seriously unwell children around the UK as a form of comfort and distraction. Through the power of stories, the recipients are transported to faraway magical places, away from their hospital beds. Participants in the project include Great Ormond Street and Swansea Bay Health Board.
The idea sparked whilst in hospital with my eldest daughter, who had pneumonia. I told her stories as a distraction and when we left the hospital, the Fly Me Story idea stuck with me. In 2020, when Covid meant that hospitals could not provide the usual play activities and books, I made Fly Me Stories into a reality and now the stories travel all around the UK to cheer up seriously unwell children. Researchers have found that the brain does not make much of a distinction between reading about an experience and encountering it in real life. This means that a child in hospital, hospice or at home who is unable to leave their bed, can feel like they are really flying away on a magical adventure. The stories are empowering as the recipient becomes the hero, helping characters to solve problems. The stories are personalised too, so that the child feels extra special. A team of wonderful volunteers help to run the Fly Me Stories social enterprise. How it works? Please visit www.flymestories.com for further information and for a selection of stories that children can choose from. Parents email their child's name to Fly Me Stories flymestories@gmail.com and a personalised story will be sent back to them. The magical stories appeal to both boys and girls. Please visit Little Dragon Stories if you would like a personalised memory story. www.littledragonstories.com |
