TLC for kids Distraction™ Boxes assist children across Australia going through painful medical procedures with as little trauma as possible.

This is the story of how they have changed one little boy’s life.

Joel was born 10 weeks premature and at two weeks was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis. He is also mildly intellectually disabled, has sensory issues and a severe phobia of needles and procedures. Joel is one of the many sick children who have greatly benefited from the TLC for kids Distraction Box program.

For the first few years of his life, a lot of procedures such as taking blood, were carried out whilst he was under anesthetic.

Since the age of seven, his fear of such procedures had escalated to a serious phobia. Distraction Boxes were made available to help kids exactly like Joel.

Joel used to get very nervous as soon as a nurse touched him, thinking everyone was going to stick a needle in him. His mother, Lee recalls how he used to get upset even when dressings needed changing. She and her husband would take it in turns trying to console Joel, maintaining eye contact to distract him while nurses tried to carry out necessary procedures.

“It wasn’t until the hospital received the TLC for kids Distraction Boxes that everything changed,” says Lee. “Joel was about to have a cannula put in, and was already crying and sweating. We selected the Viewfinder from the Distraction Box, which to our delight had Superheroes in it, including his favourites: Batman, Superman and Spiderman.”

Instead of having to sedate Joel with Midazolam, Joel’s piercing screams and unnecessary stress was taken away by his heroes.

“Given the Viewfinder took away his peripheral vision, he couldn’t see what the medical staff were doing and before he knew it the cannula was in. I seriously hope every hospital in Australia gets a Distraction Box in every room that warrants one.”

Each TLC for kids Distraction Box is filled with therapeutic toys, proven to distract from the harsh reality of medical procedures and making usually invasive hospital visits less stressful for children and their families.  The boxes include interactive sound books, bubble blowing tools, a funny giggle hammer, doodle pads and other visually engaging utensils. Not only do they distract, they also defuse a situation and create a better environment for the child.

Joel is one of the many children involved in over 700,000 medical treatments or procedures conducted annually in our hospitals, supported by this wonderful TLC for kids initiative.