The orthopaedic team at Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital are working with colleagues from The Archie Foundation to make sure no child is left with a soggy cast.
Now three years into a project to fund protective, waterproof covers – called Limbos – for every child with a cast who needs one, the team came first in their category presenting on the success of the project with the British Society of Children’s Orthopaedic Surgeons.
Orthopaedic practitioner Lesley Reid explained: “We realised there was an unmet need to better support children with broken bones in casts. Sometimes they came back to see us having avoided bathing completely or having issues with wrapping casts in things like bin bags and duct tape.
“We are so pleased to be working alongside The Archie Foundation to offer Limbos which make bathing easy for children and families and mean they can continue to enjoy water activities.
“While families can buy Limbos online, options vary in price and effectiveness, and can be difficult to size, and – let's be honest – no-one is expecting a child to break a bone so they were often left waiting for days or weeks without.”
Paula Cormack, Chief Executive of The Archie Foundation commented: “It’s fantastic to see the difference this is making. Families benefit from the immediacy of a Limbo being provided there and then at the hospital, and for those who are in a position to make a donation in kind, there is a QR donation link on every package given out. These voluntary donations help Archie fund Limbos for families who can’t afford to buy this vital luxury themselves.”
Lesley continued: “When a cast and the padding underneath gets wet, it stays wet, creating a damp environment where bacteria can thrive. This can lead to skin infections, irritation and discomfort. And it can make the cast less effective in healing the bone.
“Feedback has been universally positive, families are delighted, and it’s great to be able to give them one less thing to worry about when they are often recovering from the trauma of an accident.”
The team is also currently contributing to a number global studies on the best ways to treat broken bones and bone conditions for young patients, working with patients from across Grampian and the North of Scotland to put Aberdeen-led research on the map and make a difference to children and young people for generations to come.
Evie Reid was seven years old when she broke her arm falling out of a tree last June. Her family was due to go on holiday just days later and they were very pleased to be offered a Limbo which meant she could still enjoy all the water activities available.
Evie’s mum Julie explained: “The nurse who fitted the cast and Limbo for us was great – calming and reassuring. We were using it straight away, took it on holiday and it just never stopped Evie. You wouldn’t have known she’d broken her arm.
“If we hadn’t had the Limbo with us she wouldn’t have been allowed anywhere near water and it would have been quite a drama. It just relaxed her, she knew she could carry on, go on boats, go paddling, and she felt included in everything. It just gave her that reassurance and security. We’re grateful to The Archie Foundation and the hospital team for their support.”
Paula added: “We’re proud to now be able to extend the project beyond NHS Grampian, with Limbos now offered to young patients in NHS Tayside, Shetland and Orkney, and hopefully Highland in the near future too. With the team presenting to colleagues across the UK, we’re really hopeful this can become something that is funded for all children who need one in the future.”
If you would like to contribute to The Archie Foundation’s Limbo fund, please follow this link: https://archie.enthuse.com/LimboDonation-Grampian
Find out more about Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital: Welcome to RACH – Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital (scot.nhs.uk)