Pioneering London hospital program links teen patients with volunteers

There are plenty of programs for kids who spend time in hospital, but older adolescents and teens have often been overlooked, said Keanna Shrubsall, 17, who has been a patient at Victoria Hospital since she was six years old. 

"I find most of the stuff is aimed toward younger kids, so it's great to have stuff that is more related to my age group," Shrubsall said this week. 

She's one of the young patients who takes part in a program that's being recognized as an innovative, people-centred and evidence-informed project run at the London Health Sciences Centre called Youth CoRE, which stands for Youth Connect, Relate and Engage.

The unique program brings together youth volunteers with patients aged 12 to 18 in a one-on-one setting, allowing them to talk, play video and board games, or just relax. 

"In the hospital you get bored easily because there's not much to do, so it's nice to just have someone to talk to that's not a medical professional," said Diana Kassem, 20, a Youth CoRE team member who hangs out with Shrubsall and also spent time in the hospital when she was younger and dealing with kidney cancer. 

The two have had Mario Cart tournaments, watched High School Musical together, battled it out with UNO cards and coloured. "Even if you don't want to do anything, at least you can talk to someone," said Shrubsall, a Grade 12 student at Laurier Secondary School who loves downhill skiing, art and Dungeons and Dragons. 

Kassem is a health sciences student at Western University and said she is relishing bonding with Shrubsall and other kids. 

"I know what it feels like to be in the dialysis unit. When I was there, I didn't have someone like me to talk to," Kassem said. 

The Youth CoRe program began in 2019, after the hospital's child and youth advisory council identified a gap for patients aged 12 to 18. The program is funded by the Children's Health Foundation. 

"Our adolescent patients played a critical role in the development of the program and that is something we're really proud of," said Levv Shatil, a youth resource facilitator and former chair of the youth advisory council. 

"Patients are saying their time spent with a youth resource facilitator is a good distraction. It helps them pass the time, makes them feel less lonely, increases their sense of control and helps to improve their overall experience," Shatil said.