A special storybook designed by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde staff to help youngsters and their families process the details of complex treatment has been praised by the family of a Major Trauma Network patient.
When little Arlen Adamson, one, fell from a secured high chair and hit his head in his family’s kitchen in Pirnmill, on Arran, he was rushed to Arran Memorial Hospital for initial treatment. However, following assessment it was decided he required more specialist treatment at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s Royal Hospital for Children, going through the national Major Trauma Network pathway. This ensures patients who need critical, life-saving treatment are attend to by pre-hospital trauma experts and directed to specialist centres straight away.
Arlen and his mum, Ashton, 33, were flown by helicopter to the Glasgow hospital by Scottish specialist transport and retrieval unit ScotSTAR, where it was then established that he required immediate surgery on a blood clot which was between his skull and brain.
After a stressful, emotional and traumatic experience for Arlen, Ashton, dad Robbie, 33, older brother Xander, two, and twin brother Finn, the family have thanked the staff for their amazing work and the Major Trauma Network team for providing the family with the storybook, which helped explain what had happened and the treatment provided.
Ashton said: “The service and care has been exceptional, Arlen wouldn’t be where he is without this. I really cannot stress how comforted we were with the care at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow, even as we were coming over in the helicopter the care was terrific. Every step of the way, every stage, everyone was looking out for us and checking we were okay. When we were waiting to get out of the helicopter, we were told everything that would be happening.
“When we were asked if we would be interested in having a storybook created for Arlen, we thought it was a great idea. Not only did it help us understand the terminology and what Arlen had been going through, it helped us remember all of the names of people who did so much for us as well. It also helped us process what had happened, Robbie and I have personally struggled after what has gone on, having that story book is great to be able to reflect on it and remember just how far Arlen has come since it all happened. I can tell him about it in detail when he is older if he wonders what happened because it’s also told in a lighter way too.”
The idea for the story book came from the Royal Hospital for Children’s Major Trauma Team, after an adult patient had discussed not being able to recall some parts of their time in hospital, following a major trauma. After this was raised, the team looked for ways of explaining to their younger patients their own personal experience and why they had to be in hospital for treatment.
Designed by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s Medical Illustration department, each book is unique to each patient, with families able to choose their preferred design too.
Ashton added: “The design is great, we were able to choose our own cover, it tells Arlen’s journey and on the back has an area where we can track appointments and his development. It’s very personal, Finn is mentioned, Xander is mentioned too and so are Arlen’s grandparents. The staff didn’t need to put that in but that personal approach brought a tear to my eye.”
Lynsay Stewart, Paediatric Major Trauma Coordinator at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow said: “Nobody prepares for a major trauma, so when it happens quite often there is a lot of anxiety and the information may be hard to process as treatment begins. The Major Trauma Network Storybook not only helps children understand their treatment but also helps their families digest what has happened. There also may be situations where the parent has been involved in an accident too and misses the first stages of their child’s care, as they are being treated elsewhere. So the storybook is useful for them to gain a better understanding of what happened.
“We have had great feedback from parents of the children we have given storybooks to. One said it really helped their child answer questions when they went back to school. The teachers allowed them to stand up and read it for an assembly and this meant the child didn’t have to keep answering loads of questions in the playground as it explained clearly what happened.
“The whole experience was extremely traumatising for Arlen and his whole family, especially as they didn’t live locally, and in the middle of a pandemic, so visiting was restricted. Unexpected trauma admissions can often become a blur but having a storybook helps put the whole event into a timeline and often helps families come to terms with what has happened and how far they have come.”
Arlen and twin brother Finn have just celebrated their first birthdays and both Ashton and Robbie are delighted with the progress Arlen is making.
Ashton said: “Arlen is doing fantastic and the consultant is so pleased with how he is recovering. There have been improvements in movement with his right hand side but physiotherapy will be ongoing as he continues to recover to reach the milestones that have been set out.
“Finn has started crawling and while Arlen isn’t quite there yet we are all over-the-moon with how he is progressing.
“The care we received was beyond excellent, thank you will never be enough. We really don’t know how to put into words just how thankful we all are to Lynsay and the rest of the team for everything they have done.
“We have received so much support from the Pirnmill community too, they have held a coffee morning and raised over £645 for Scotland’s Air Ambulance Charity.”
