Sandy the Starfish
Meets Doctor Dolphin

When Laura Young’s three year-old daughter was diagnosed with a rare auto-immune disease, Lupus, her treatment required a long-term management programme including drugs and monthly blood tests. While the daily administration of drugs became routine, the monthly visits to the hospital for blood tests became a horrific ordeal for everyone involved. At most appointments it took three people to pin Verity down as she used every ounce of strength to try to throw off her adult assaulters.

Searching for help, Laura found several leaflets, but nothing that spoke to the child directly about the experience. She scoured bookshops, and although she did find books aimed at young children which described visits to the doctor, none portrayed the cyclic nature of monitoring, testing or immunising. Instead, they showed the pain and hurt before the visit, and then the doctor magicking it away.

Laura hit upon the idea of a lift-the-flap book and, knowing how much young children enjoy a game as part of the reading experience. And, thinking about what Verity enjoyed best – summer holidays spent fishing in rock pools and visiting touch tanks at aquariums - the character of Sandy the Starfish was born.

With the help of her husband’s rhyming skills, and illustrator Jeff Appleton, Laura, a former museum curator, set out to create and publish her book.

Sandy the Starfish Meets Doctor Dolphin, with its charming illustrations and simple rhymes, is designed to generate discussion between the child and the parent or carer, to better prepare them for the experience of visiting the doctor, nurse or health visitor. As well as making the common experience of blood tests less traumatic, the book will be also invaluable for coping with the five standard injections children should receive between the ages 0-5, including the MMR and booster jabs.

Lesley Joliffe, a practice nurse with Lothian Health Service commented ‘Children who come for vaccination unprepared are always more distressed. Sandy the Starfish is an excellent way for parents to discuss what will happen’. Mr Robin Garrett-Cox FRCS, of Great Ormond Street Hospital said of the book ‘Young children can be frightened by hospitals. Sandy the Starfish will provide an easy way to explain what will happen in hospital and why.’

Laura’s second daughter Verity was diagnosed with Lupus SLE in December 2004. Lupus UK estimate that some 50,000 people are affected by the illness in the UK, the majority of whom are female, but only a small percentage of whom are children.

Sandy the Starfish Meets Doctor Dolphin is available from Amazon.co.uk

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