One Million Views on YouTube and Videos on STV News!

August 2017

Our news story has been covered by STV News!

Edinburgh mum’s videos help more than one million ill children across the world

This week the Scottish charity What? Why? Children in Hospital (WWCIH) reached a major milestone: their YouTube videos reached 1 million views! In February 2015, with the help of friends, Marit Boot founded the ’What? Why? Children in Hospital’ charity to make child-friendly videos about hospital tests. The videos are very popular with children and parents searching for information on YouTube and doctors across the UK recommend them to patients.

Within 2 years of founding the charity, Marit developed 32 videos, showing step by step what happens in tests such as MRI, CT, Echo, ECG, EEG, breathing tests and allergy tests. The charity also makes videos with play ideas to prepare young children for hospital.

Dr Iain Horrocks, Consultant Paediatric Neurologist, Royal Hospital for Children Glasgow said:

‘These videos are a fantastic resource for families and children to have access to; it will be invaluable in preparation for the kinds of tests that we need to do.’

Marit, who lives in Edinburgh, was worried when her 5 years old daughter needed an MRI scan and EEG to check her brain. Her daughter was very anxious about going to hospital for these tests. Marit wanted to prepare her little girl by watching child friendly videos about these tests together, but she couldn’t find any videos, just complicated explanations.

Marit said,

‘I realised I needed to show my daughter in a positive way what was going to happen otherwise she would struggle to complete the procedure and could develop a fear of hospitals. We played pretend hospital with a teddy bear, cardboard box, strings and stickers, and this helped us both to prepare for hospital. I was very proud of her as she did really well in hospital.’

Marit, who previously worked in the NHS is excited about the response,

‘I can’t believe our videos have now been viewed a million times. People from across the world tell me our videos have helped them.’

Feedback shows the videos make a big difference, Sarah, the mum of a little boy staying in the Royal Hospital for Sick Children Edinburgh said,

‘It is brilliant to have videos about hospital tests, as I like to see what is going to happen to my child. And if I feel calmer about going to hospital, my child is more relaxed too’. A teenager posted on the WWCIH YouTube channel ‘I will be having an EEG test in a few hours to find out if I have epilepsy. I was worried but now [after seeing the video] I am looking forward to finding out my results!’

Sharyn Brown, who attends the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow with her son Ruari said,

‘I really value the videos – Ruari has autistic tendencies and required to have an exercise tolerance test in October – we didn’t know what to expect and couldn’t prepare him – he became more and more anxious with every bit of equipment that was placed on him and totally freaked when they tried to put the blood pressure cuff on him, refusing to do the test. I saw your videos advertised on Facebook and showed them to Ruari. With the help of the video we were finally able to get the test done this Friday.’

Marit’s daughter Susan, who is now 10 years old, no longer needs tests in hospital, but loves to come and help her mum with filming, she is very proud she helped to start the What? Why? Children in Hospital charity.

The videos can be found on YouTube (WWCIH) and the website: www.wwcih.org.uk/videos

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