Wednesday the 7th of August

Today marked my first day as the only volunteer working in the hospital. Mehek has left, and the interns from last week have returned to their classes. Initially, I felt slightly nervous about being the only one there, but that quickly faded away.

There was a little seven-year-old girl who was admitted today for four consecutive days of high-dose chemotherapy. Today was her first of the four sessions. I spent the majority of my day with her—playing games, doing a bit of painting, and crafting butterflies out of medical supplies for medical play. It was heartwarming to spend so much one-on-one time with her. This gave me the chance to really get to know her, and it helped her feel more comfortable around me as the day went on.

Over the days, I've come to realise just how positive the environment in the hospital is. The staff and Kythe work together to create a space that's not just relaxing but also fun for the kids. Slowly, I've also started to see the hospital as less of a sterile environment, which truly shows how the efforts to make it more comforting are effective.