A time to play – enriching the lives of children with cancer in Bangladesh

Last July, I had the privilege of spending three weeks volunteering in the playroom on the paediatric hematology-oncology ward at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) in Dhaka, Bangladesh.



On my first day at BSMMU, I met an extremely bright young boy named Masud. Masud had a beautiful, genuine smile ̶ the kind of smile that you might imagine can be rare on a ward full of children with cancer. His smile was brought on by simple things, like completing a puzzle or beating me or his mom at a memory game. These things were made possible by a small playroom overflowing with board games, crafts and toys that had recently been added to the ward at BSMMU. As the mothers and children started coming to the playroom to borrow toys or to stay and make a craft, I started to witness more and more smiles.



I found that the playroom at BSMMU was an excellent way to get the children out of bed, encouraging them to move around, and distracting them from their illness and hospitalisation. Crafts, Bengali books, games, and puzzles were the most popular items amongst the children. The playroom not only allowed the children to learn and be creative, but also promoted literacy. Most of the kids did not have games, craft supplies or books at home, and would not have these opportunities in hospital without the playroom.



The most important aspect of the playroom was the way it brought the patients and siblings together and allowed them to just be kids. It let them forget their cancer for a few hours. There were some occasions when six or seven children would cram into the tiny playroom to have fun together. As I watched them play, it became harder and harder to believe that they were extremely sick. Their pain, their wounds and their bald heads seemed to temporarily vanish when the noise of their busy hands, their musical toys or their playful banter took over.



Therapeutic play should be available to all children with cancer and other diseases when they are in hospital. The impact of play is much more important than one might think; its effects go far beyond simple pleasure. Play is vital for allowing children to express themselves and cope with fear and anxiety.



I had the privilege of witnessing the transformative effects of play first-hand at BSMMU, in the presence of some of the sweetest children that I have ever met.