New play space opens for sick
children at Whakatāne Hospital
Pictured from left: Waikato Home training Dialysis Nurse Belinda McLeod, Renal Specialist
Dr Lai Chan, Nurse Practitioner Terry Jennings, Clinical Director and Renal Specialist
Dr Andrew Henderson and Renal Dialysis nurses Rini Dipin ,Gaya Palani, and Celeste Tado.
Above: The Paediatrics Team celebrating the opening of the new play space with other staff ,
contractors, Countdown and Simeon and Liana.
A new play space has opened at
Whakatāne Hospital allowing sick
children to have some safe outdoor
play without leaving the ward.
Whakatāne toddler Simeon Wait, who’s 2.5
years old was guest of honour called on to
cut the ribbon at the offi cial opening earlier
this month.
A twin and youngest of fi ve siblings, Simeon
has been having treatment for Neuroblastoma
cancer in his adrenal glands at the hospital
and Starship for most of the year.
His mum Liana says, “For all kids the most
important thing is playing. Having the play
area so close, attached to the ward makes
it doable especially for those sick kids who
can’t move too far.”
At the moment Simeon is coming to
the hospital a couple of times a week
for treatment.
“Play is the best therapy. It’s great to have
the play space on the ward that’s clean. It’s
really important for kids like Simeon who
are more susceptible to picking up viruses,”
says Liana.
Paediatric Ward Nurse Manager Sharon
Powley says the new fenced outdoor play
area under sun shades, not only provides sick
children with a short burst of play, it also
benefi ts their siblings.
“When a child’s in hospital their families are
there too, especially with young children.
They get quite cooped up inside, this play
space gives them something to do without
taking their parents or caregivers away from
the ward.”
The outdoor play space was funded from the
annual Countdown Kids Hospital Appeal.
Increased access to incentre
dialysis for Eastern Bay
More people with kidney failure who
need supported dialysis three times a
week can have their treatment in the
Eastern Bay reducing the need to travel
to Waikato.
Above: Toddler Simeon Wait and his mum Liana
cut the ribbon, offi cially opening the new play
space for sick children pictured with Paediatric
Ward Nurse Manager Sharon Powley.
“We’re very grateful for Countdown and
our communities support. Without that, this
wouldn’t have happened,” says Sharon.
The annual Countdown Kids Hospital
Appeal has raised more than $12.8 million
since it began in 2007. About $1 million
has contributed to the extra ‘nice-to-haves’
over and above what could be aff orded
within budget constraints at Whakatāne and
Tauranga hospitals.
Whakatāne Countdown Store Manager
Wynand Kruger says, “It has been a real
privilege for our staff to be involved in
getting the [play area] off the ground. It’s
an eye opener to see how much fundraising
eff orts mean to the community.”
This month the Satellite Renal Unit at
Whakatāne Hospital started operating an
extra six haemodialysis spaces providing
treatment for an extra six patients each week.
Renal Nurse Practitioner Terry Jennings says,
“Six doesn’t sound like a lot. But for people
needing dialysis and their families, six extra
dialysis spaces makes a massive diff erence
to their lives. It means, for the most part,
treatment is available minutes from their
homes rather than the person having to do a
4.5 hour round trip to Hamilton three times
a week.”
There are about 80 people living across the
Eastern Bay who require dialysis for their
kidney failure daily or triweekly. Dialysis
clears the blood of waste products - doing the
job of kidneys when they no longer work.
Most people on dialysis choose or are able
to manage their treatment at home, as it’s
more convenient and less disruptive to
their lives. For others, they need to come to
hospital to have this treatment. Up until now
the Renal Unit at Whakatāne Hospital has
been full meaning some patients had to travel
to the Waikato Renal unit to receive their
regular dialysis.
Dialysis is a lifelong treatment. A successful
kidney transplant is the preferred treatment
for end stage kidney disease but due to
high demand and limited kidney donors, a
transplant is not always an option.
In New Zealand, about 2800 people are
currently on dialysis, with numbers growing
by around 6% each year.
What is kidney disease?
Your kidneys clean your blood by working as a fi lter to
remove water and wastes from your body. Kidney disease
damages these fi lters so they don’t do their job properly.
Kidney disease usually affects both kidneys and may also
damage other parts of your body, such as your heart.
When enough of the fi lters are damaged, the body will
fi ll up with excess wastes and water. This is called kidney
failure. It can happen when you have kidney disease for a
long period of time (chronic kidney disease).
Kidney failure is fatal if not treated by either dialysis or a
kidney transplant.
“For these people, the reality is, regular
dialysis becomes their ‘job’. It’s like coming
to work each day, they spend so much of
their time connected up to the machine. And
for those people who have had to travel long
distances for dialysis the impact on their
lives and that of their families is often much
greater,” says Terry Jennings.
Terry, who was instrumental in setting up
the satellite unit in Whakatāne eight years
ago, recently advanced to a Renal Nurse
Practitioner role. She’s one of seven renal
nurse practitioners in the country and the fi rst
in the Bay of Plenty.
A desire to ease the burden on people with
kidney disease and their families - and to
support local access to specialist care is what
motivated her to expand her nursing skills.
As a Renal Nurse Practitioner, Terry is able
to assess patients and provide treatment
interventions, including prescribing
medications at the unit rather than the
patient having to wait to book in to see
their GP or a kidney doctor at their next
clinic appointment.
“They’re coming here three days a week so it
makes sense to treat those issues which have
an impact on their wellbeing then and there.
It also frees up doctors to focus on more
complex treatment issues.”
Ultimately Terry’s vision is for the satellite
unit to provide a more holistic “one-stop
shop” service for patients living with
kidney failure.
“The reality is demand for dialysis is
increasing. In collaboration with the wider
Regional Renal team, including renal
specialists, nurses, and GPs, we’re always
looking at ways of improving health services
for renal patients.”
A M I AT R I
S K?
You’re at gre
ater risk of
kidney disea
se if you:
• have high
blood press
ure
• have diab
etes
• smoke
• have a fa
mily history
of kidney d
isease
• are over
50
• are of Māo
ri or Pacifi c
heritage.
If you’re in
favour – as any of these groups, d
k your docto
o
r for a kidney yourself a
check-up.