Re-engaging our recovering Neuro-oncology patients through our ‘Sport for All’ 2022 sessions
We’re incredibly proud of all of our patients and colleagues who attended our ‘Sport for All’ Sessions last Thursday (14 April) at Warwickshire’s County Cricket Club’s indoor cricket centre in Edgbaston, making a triumphant return after a two-year break during the pandemic. 
Fourteen inspirational young people between the ages of 6 and 16 from our Children’s Hospital’s Neuro-oncology unit took part in the sports day, aiming to aid their recovery by reigniting their engagement and love of sport. Our children have been recovering from brain and spinal tumours, bravely paving their roads to recovery through physical activities and support from our Neuro-oncology teams.
Before the pandemic, our Neuro-oncology team hosted our regular Sport for All events, cheering on their patients and actively supporting their recovery by encouraging young people to stay active, to improve co-ordination, mobility and balance for their patients.
In previous years, our team have led exciting sessions in football, ballet, boxercise, indoor rock climbing and karate. 
Jane Guest, Advanced Physiotherapist from our Children’s Hospital and one of the organisers of Sport for All said: “There is a lot of rehabilitation and reintegration that needs to be done after having a brain or spinal tumour – balance, vision, mobility, social skills and communication skills may all be affected by this condition.
“Physical activity plays a vital role on the physical, social and psychological wellbeing of children and is essential to their on-going care, rehabilitation and long-term health. 
“Often patients feel they are not able to do a lot of things, including sport. The Sport for All sessions aim to show them that they can and gives them an idea of the resources that are available.”
One of the young people attending the session was cricket fan Jamie Peters who goes to New College in Worcester, a school for blind and visually-impaired children. He was diagnosed with an optic glioma at seven months old and has had to undergo many different treatments in the past twelve years including 16 months of chemotherapy, three surgeries to reduce his tumour, as well as six weeks of proton beam therapy in America.
Jamie’s Mum, Sue Bowen-Peters, said: “Sport for All is really good because it helps normalise Jamie’s life. He sees other children that are going through the same thing and he can sometimes be an inspiration to them as well because he seems to be well and has been for a few years now.
“The team at the Children’s Hospital are just phenomenal they just want the children to enjoy themselves and reach their potential.” 
Our Children’s Hospital is a primary treatment care center for paediatric oncology. It cares for approximately 50 patients with neuro-oncology diagnosis annually in a catchment area of one million children.
We’d like to say a big thank you to our Neuro-oncology team for bringing back our ‘Sport for All’ event along with a huge well done to our fourteen sporty champions for taking part, inspiring us to all stay active through their recovery.