Hospital award for helping children with life limiting illnesses

SUZANNE Heayns, a play specialist in Musgrove Park Hospital, in Taunton, has won the title of August employee of the month for her work with the COMPASS team.
The COMPASS team work with children and families with life limiting illnesses across Somerset.
Suzanne was nominated because of the work she did to organise a weekend in Huish Woods for children who have brothers or sisters who are unwell.
The weekend was so successful that the team now plan to make it an annual event.
Dr Chris Clinch, clinical psychologist at Musgrove, said: “I nominated Suzanne for this award because she showed such dedication to this project and organised it with creativity and vision.
“She wanted to give these children a chance to meet, play, and talk with other children who are going through the same experiences.
“It is well known that siblings are more likely to experience emotional problems and get less attention as families are so burdened.
“This weekend successfully represented a positive and empowering experience for the young people involved and the time given by Suzanne and her team members was indeed above and beyond the call of duty.”
Suzanne, who lives in Kingston St Mary, will in October have worked for 20 years at Musgrove, which is run by the Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust.
She said: “I was really pleased and surprised when I learnt that I had won employee of the month.
“It came completely out of the blue.
“I love my job and do find it very rewarding, but I am also very pleased that the important role of the play specialist within the paediatric department has been recognised in this way.”

• Our photograph shows Suzanne Heayns (right) receiving her award and flowers from foundation trust chairman Ros Wyke. Photo submitted.