Special events and visits

Home What we do Patient and Family Support Special events and visits

Nobody misses out on fun!

Being in hospital shouldn’t mean having to miss out on all the things kids and their families love. We make sure that every special holiday, event and occasion is brought right to the children at the hospital. For kids who are too unwell to go to the party; we take the party to them!

Every year we hold events big and small for patients and their families. We celebrate the big holidays like Easter, Halloween, Christmas, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and the Ekka, as well as events that are just for the sake of having fun. Each year is filled with many events, all of which are jampacked with music, activities, games, yummy food and more!

As well as our regular events, we also make it possible for patients to meet their heroes during special visits. Entertainers, performers and sporting legends visit the hospital and help create a positive memory for the children and their families.

We’ve been fortunate enough to have celebrities like Taylor Swift, Chris Hemsworth and Johnny Depp surprise the children with a visit and have even had the band Sheppard perform some of their hit songs. Local heroes, like our firefighters and police are always a big hit and there is always a buzz when footy stars make an appearance.

A big part of what we do is giving kids in the hospital the thing they crave most – the chance to laugh, smile, play and just be kids. Our special events and visits program helps make short and long-term stays at the hospital more bearable and creates happy memories during what can be the hardest period of a family’s life.

On some occasions we’re able to take patients off-site for special events or meet-ups, but for the kids who are unable to leave their beds, we make sure they don’t miss out on the fun and enjoy roving entertainment throughout the wards.

Research shows that by providing entertainment and distraction to kids in hospital, we can not only make stays more enjoyable and positive but help them to get better and go home sooner to their families.

Mila’s story

When Mila was five years old, she diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia in September 2018. For Mila and her family, the treatment process took a huge toll emotionally and physically.

Mila and her mum J’nae regularly travelled from the Sunshine Coast to the Queensland Children’s Hospital for her treatments and would often have her brothers in tow. The special events and visits program meant that J’nae got to watch her kids play and sing – something that was so valuable for the family while they were going through this tough time.

“Mila and I were able to participate in few events while we were in Brisbane for her chemo.

“One event that really stuck out for us was the Sounds of Summer event, she absolutely loved that.

“It had been a really hard time because her hair had fallen out and was only just starting to grow back, so I was quite emotional that afternoon just watching her have fun and interacting with the entertainers and other kids.

“There were so many sick kids but they all had smiles on their faces – it was priceless.

“She could just be a kid and forget her diagnosis and be in that space knowing that there were no needles, no procedures.

“It was just a really nice distraction and meant a lot to have a good memory within the hospital experience.

“Honestly as a parent, I think you get so caught up in the illness and the diagnosis and it’s just a pretty hard situation, so I think its invaluable that the Foundation provides services like this.

“Just knowing that you can take your child and their siblings to these events is amazing. A lot of focus is taken away from her siblings during treatment times, so it meant so much to me that I could bring them along and they could feel included.

“There are all of these amazing resources that the Foundation provides, and it’s really handy as a parent to know that services like this are there for the kids and ultimately for us.”

Mila at the Sounds of Summer event

Special events at Queensland Children’s Hospital

We hold multiple events per month, so to find out what might be on when you’re next at the Queensland Children’s Hospital, talk to our friendly volunteers, or contact us at info@childrens.org.au

Our special events and visits are for everyone’s enjoyment, so patients and their siblings and parents are always welcome to join in on the fun.

Want to volunteer?

Want to help us with our next event? It is only with the support of our amazing volunteers that we are able to run the Special Events and Entertainment program. Find out more about how to volunteer  if you want to help us work wonders for sick kids!