Perform Better have recently been working with the paediatric physiotherapy team at The Great North Children's Hospital (GNCH) and have donated some sets of Blazepods.

The physio team at Newcastle work with children and young people to try and keep them active during their long inpatient stay on the Ward 3.  Children admitted to the ward have an immune deficiency, requiring a life saving bone marrow or stem cell transplant, and can be confined in their ‘bubble’ for several months. 

It is well documented that children with chronic illness, that spend large amounts of time in hospital are a lot less active than their peers which often results in a long-term negative effects on physical health and fitness.  The physio team know that participation and engagement in activity whilst an inpatient improves with fun and interactive devices.  Perform Better have donated some Blazepod kits to help the young patients become more active during this period of their journey. With their ease of use and versatility, Blazepods can be used by patients of all ages, including their parents, siblings, and visitors, within the confinement of their room. This not only helps to encourage mobility, movement and physical health, but also helps to keep their young minds stimulated, keeps the boredom at bay, and helps to improve their mental health.

Children can be inspired through pre-loaded games and challenges on the free Blazepod app or they can create their own games and challenges. The pods are fully wipeable, ensuring everything is clean for each patient to use and adheres with the hospital infection control policy.  

Beyond just having fun, the donated Blazepods will also be used by the physio team as part of the patients’ rehabilitation programme.  Features such as fitness testing can be personalised and saved to be used as goal setting or a way to measure progress, engaging them in their rehabilitation by making it more enjoyable and exciting. 

The Bubble Foundation, the charity connected to Ward 3 at the GNCH, have also contributed to the Blazepod kits by funding accessories to make the kits even more versatile. Functional adaptors and suction cups allow the Blazepods to be mounted onto windows; and cone adaptors can be used to create obstacle courses.

The charity provides toys, activities and equipment for the children during their stay, medical equipment for the ward and emergency funds and support for families. The charity also funds vital research into treatments and diagnosis of primary immunodeficiencies.

Perform Better are proud to have been able to provide to such a worthy cause and hope the children and their families enjoy using the Blazepods.

For more information on the work The Bubble Foundation do, and how you can help, please visit https://www.bubblefoundation.org.uk/

For more information on Blazepods can be found here.