WA kids take big strides towards better health
- Perth Children's Hospital Foundation
WA kids take big strides towards better health
- Perth Children's Hospital Foundation
Innovative research uses ‘movement as medicine’ to boost physical and mental wellbeing in kids with long-term health conditions
Callum (17), Yumna (12), Flynn (10), and Stellar (8) are among some of the very first kids in WA to take part in Move to Improve.
This inspiring group of kids recently shared their progress, demonstrating how the innovative eight-week program is helping them smash their personal movement goals, as they aim to improve their physical and mental health.
The Move to Improve initiative embraces the concept of ‘movement as medicine’ to help WA kids living with health conditions including type 1 diabetes (T1D), cancer, post-burn injuries, and cerebral palsy to regain their strength, confidence, and independence.
Each participant, along with their family receives personalised support from a multidisciplinary team, which includes a senior exercise physiologist, senior physiotherapists, clinical psychologist, senior dietitian, and enrolled nurses.
From there, movement goals are tailored to their individual needs and could range from walking for five minutes without stopping to getting back into playing footy. The sessions can be held at PCH, or in the community at a local park or gym, giving participants the flexibility to improve their fitness, skills, and confidence in the environment that best suits their needs and where they feel most comfortable.
Beyond improving physical fitness, Move to Improve is also helping to reduce anxiety, enhance social connections, and alleviate stress – thanks to endorphins and other feel-good hormones released during physical activity.
The program is made possible thanks to funding from Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation (PCHF) and Principal Partner Mineral Resources via the Channel 7 Telethon Trust.
Meet the kids.
Yumna
Yumna’s progress in Move to Improve has been remarkable. Through weekly sessions with a PCH Senior Exercise Physiologist, she’s improved her running technique, posture, and coordination, boosting her confidence in sports like swimming, climbing, basketball, and cricket. Her hand-eye coordination has also shown significant improvement.
“Yumna was very anxious about sports class at school. Thanks to the skills she gained during Move to Improve, she now looks forward to it,” said Yumna’s mother, Tahira. “It shows that with the right guidance and motivation, children with cerebral palsy, like Yumna, can achieve more than we thought possible.”
Stellar
Stellar received a severe burn injury due to an accident at age 3. She underwent multiple surgeries and extensive therapy, but despite this, still has positive memories of her hospital stays at PCH.
Stellar has made great progress in throwing, catching, and climbing through Move to Improve, with the program’s fun, flexible approach, keeping her engaged and motivated.
Flynn
Diagnosed with T1D two years ago, Flynn is determined to pursue a professional soccer career. Despite the complexities of managing insulin, food, and physical activity, Move to Improve has helped Flynn balance his rigorous training schedule with proper rest and recovery, while also providing dietary advice to manage his blood sugar levels during swimming.
Flynn’s mum, Helen said: “It can be tricky to reconnect kids diagnosed with T1D safely back to sport. However, as parents we found it difficult to find practical information and guidance about how to enable Flynn to do this safely. Move to Improve would be very helpful for families like ours immediately after diagnoses, providing access to the right experts to safely reintroduce their child to physical activities, and ensure their passion for sports is maintained.”
Callum
A neuroblastoma survivor diagnosed at six months old, Callum has faced numerous challenges from his treatment, including hearing loss and reduced lung capacity. Initially uninterested in sports, Callum participated in Move to Improve to increase his strength and health.
Starting with the BEEP test, he’s since incorporated running, weight training, and gym sessions into his routine, becoming more active and confident.
Prof. Liz Davis, Head of Endocrinology at PCH and Co-Lead of Move to Improve, said, “One of our goals is to integrate Move to Improve into routine healthcare for all kids with long-term conditions in the hospital system, and to do that, we need the evidence to show it works. Our focus now is continuing to recruit the first 100 kids in the program, at which point we will evaluate the program’s effectiveness and see what we can do better.”
Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation CEO, Carrick Robinson, said: “Thanks to our generous partners, we are excited to continue expanding this family-centred research program to ensure more WA kids have the opportunity to thrive, both physically and mentally.”
How to Get Involved
Move to Improve is now enrolling children aged 5 to 17 attending PCH who are living with type 1 diabetes, cancer, post-burn injuries, or cerebral palsy. For more information, contact: MoveToImprove@health.wa.gov.au.
To support more ground-breaking programs like Move to Improve, visit www.pchf.org.au/donate.
The initiative is also supported by Stan Perron Charitable Foundation.
