Tauranga ED
staff receive
compassionate gift
A nine-year-old Tauranga girl has donated
a box of stress balls to Tauranga Hospital’s
ED as a ‘thank you for helping all of the sick
people’.
Meiah Aitken-Keogh came up with the idea after visiting the ED
recently with her stepmum.
With the support of her Dad, Cameron, and help from her friend,
Kate Kneebone; Meiah made about 50 stress balls. They were
delivered to the hospital recently with a note attached: “To
Tauranga Hospital, thank you for helping all of the sick people.
Thank you. Sincerely Meiah Aitken Keogh (Age 9).”
Meiah Aitken-Keogh (left) with her friend Kate Kneebone (right) delivering
their box of stress balls at Tauranga Hospital.
Stephanie Watson, ED Clinical Nurse Manager says, “It warmed
our hearts and we just want to thank Meiah. It was absolutely
fantastic that a 9 year-old showed that level of compassion.
“We will probably use them as distraction therapy for the children
that come into the ED. They might even like to take them home
with them afterwards as well as a toy.”
Stephanie says the stress balls would, as a precaution, be
disinfected before being offered to patients to ensure any possible
germs were removed.
Nurses Mikaela Starr (left) and Kirsty Thompson (right) with the stress balls
donated by 9 year-old Meiah Aitken-Keogh.
On the road
to better health
By Martin Steinmann, Manager, Community Health
4 Kids.
Cyclones and flooding doesn’t appear to have
stopped our staff seeing pre-schoolers for their
B4 School Checks.
Despite some families in pockets of the Eastern Bay having to
leave their homes due to the weather events, latest results (01
July 2016 to 30th June 2017) show we still reached our target.
The Ministry of Health target was 2,753 checks, of which 819 were
defined as high need children. We exceeded our target by 86
children, of which eight were high needs.
Our staff travel right across the Western and Eastern Bay meeting
with parents and caregivers to ensure their children are all set for
school. Keep a look out for them on the road in their recently sign
written B4 School Checks vehicles.
4
The B4 School Check team travels to remote parts of the region like Matahi
Valley in Te Urewera, Eastern Bay of Plenty.
The vehicles are already turning heads. Recently a Kohanga
teacher spotted the car in the Eastern Bay and promptly contacted
the BOPDHB’s Regional Māori Health Services to ask about the
service. That resulted in the B4 School Checks team being invited
to the Kohanga to check tamariki.
To find out when a B4 School Check clinic is in your community
or to book an appointment call 0800935 554
or in Whakatāne 07 306 0944.