Cartoon Sessions for 
Amazing Kids

A​ Story

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A few years ago I ​r​an a couple of cartoon sessions at the amazing Great Ormond St Children’s Hospital in London, ​f​or those children able enough to come and sit downstairs in the classroom. ​Each session lasted approximately 1.5 hours and contained ​a​bout 15-20 kids. I​t was the school holidays and I brought my daughters along (then aged about 8 and 10) because I wanted them to see how fortunate they were when ​c​omplaining about ​walking the short distance to school and insistine we drive instead. ​I wanted them to see how lucky they are to be able to walk. I’m glad ​t​hey came along because it opened their eyes.​ The classroom w​a​s filled with lovely ​s​miling kids, ​mostly o​bviously seriously ill​.​ If I'm to be honest, not an easy gig for me​!

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As I walked around the large ​classroom table I spoke with each child, one by one, and we drew silly little cartoons of their favourite things. It was fun! My daughters also got involved, and the room felt happy. The two or three teachers/nurses in attendance were also enjoying the atmosphere, and it seemed like everyone was ​e​njoying drawing funny pictures​.​ Apart from one girl, ​w​ho I discovered was 14, sitting with her head slumped down in folded arms on the table. 

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I went over and tried to speak to her, but she didn’t lift her head up or respond. One of the teachers politely told me that she was always like this and I mustn’t be offended. I noticed marks on her arms, and I realised that she was really struggling, I guessed depression​ was a major factor. So not wishing to irritate her I moved along to the next child and we started talking, drawing and giggling. 

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I remember ​w​alking around the room feeling upset that the girl with her head slumped on the table was obviously in a bad way and that I couldn’t get her involved in what we were doing. I continued around the table, showing the kids how to draw silly things such as a cowboy with a banana on its head, or very ​a​nnoying elephants​ with attitude…and other silly ​made-up things. Then, as I came back around to the girl again she suddenly lifted up her head, looked at me and ​a​sked ‘​Excuse me, can you teach me how to draw Little Mix ?’ (​a girl band). I ​was taken aback, and f​elt honoured ​that she​'d lifted her head off the table for me. I could see the teachers were also quite excited, so I pulled up a chair, sat with her and we started drawing some very stupid Little Mix characters, ​...not very good, ​c​ompletely inaccurate,​ absolutely no idea what I was doing but it was fun, and silly, and she was ​s​tarting to smile...and laugh. The teachers around me smiled,…obviously delighted. 

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We struggled through Little Mix, got chatting and I asked her where she was from. She said I would never have heard of it, a little town on the London/Hertfordshire border... she named the place, and incredibly and coincidentally it happened to be the exact place where we lived !!! In fact her road was about 2 roads from our house !!! ​I couldn't believe it. Here we were with kids from all over the country, and she came from exactly the same place as us. ​Soon after that someone came in and called her name to go and have treatment. She stood up, told me and my girls that she would see us around ​our area, gave us a big smile and a wave, and went off out of the classroom. 

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The teachers ​s​eemed happy.

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​On the way home I ​a​sked my daughters if they'd seen that, which they had. ​I explained that this was nothing to do with me,...it was a 'thing that happens' when you doodle silly cartoons. ​For that moment in time we saw a complete mood change, a sparkle in the eye, and a happiness coming through.

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​I'm sure that girl is still facing struggles, and I'm not pretending that her life changed that day. but something happened. Dopamine and other chemicals were released, and creative silliness took over. and I hope she finds that spark again, maybe through doodling Little Mix, or maybe something completely different.

I hope she is on a good journey in life. 

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That day really taught ​m​e (and my kids) so much.