There really aren't enough words to explain just how vital our visits from Pod are. Our hospital is not in a wealthy area, many of our children have never seen a magician or had the luxury of seeing close-up magic or indeed having beautiful balloons made for them. It makes them smile, laugh, feel inclusive but most of all forget their worries for a short time and means the absolute world to these children. It's so lovely for parents too because very often they feel very stressed and pressured and the benefit they get from these visits is palpable.

The visits have so many benefits. If we know that children are very anxious about forthcoming procedures such as bloods or surgery or scans, we can ensure that we time a visit just prior to their treatment and it has remarkable effects by completely taking their mind off what's to come. Over the years I've seen many children going off to theatre smiling and carrying their very special hand-made balloon. It's a fantastic method of distraction for these children. I think that thanks to Pod we can turn a visit into hospital from a scary, anxious experience to a positive and fun experience. In fact, we have had children who have returned for future visits and asked if the magic man will be coming again. They have remembered for often long periods of time because the experience has made such a positive impact on their wellbeing and feelings about the hospital environment. Hospitals can be fun, and a great deal of that mindset can be contributed through the success of Pod visits.