Starlight Stories

Generating calm through play

Kornelia Csala-Kengyel, a Play Leader at Moorfields Eye Hospital, has been supporting children who use its services for two decades. Formerly a primary school teacher, she has been engaging, comforting, and supporting young people for her whole career and has recently celebrated her 20-year milestone at Moorfields last year, receiving the trust’s Star Award for long service. 

 What Kornelia loves most about her job is its variety. “No two days are the same. One day I’m working on a ward, another in a clinic,” adding: “Working with children has always been part of my life. I like to talk to them, to make sure they’re okay, make them feel safe.” 

Making hospital feel less frightening

“For many families, visiting a hospital - especially for surgery - can be daunting. There’s often a history, past experiences, or anxiety that children or their parents bring with them,” said Kornelia. “My role is to make that journey easier: creating a space where the experience becomes less about fear and more about support and understanding.” 

 She describes how play, distraction, and connection all help transform the hospital into a more familiar and welcoming place. For younger children, the play area becomes a comforting, familiar environment. “Sometimes the younger children become so immersed they forget they’re even in hospital and think they are at a play group!” she said. 

 Older children, on the other hand, might prefer to stay by their bedsides, said Korneila but: “We make sure we spend time with them playing games, or simply having a chat. (Image: Kornelia at work at Moorfields)

“Even small comparisons – for example, saying cannulas are like “Spiderman web shooters” or calling the surgeons Smurfs because of their blue uniforms and hats - make unfamiliar medical equipment and staff feel less threatening and brings some smiles.” - Kornelia

Supporting parents as well

Importantly, her work isn’t just for the children - it’s for their parents, too. There are times when she senses a parent’s anxiety, perhaps stemming from their own past hospital experiences, and she adapts, creating space to talk and ease their concerns. 

 She uses tools like Starlight’s preparation boxes to help parents and children understand what is going to happen, using child-friendly language and visuals. 

Helping children understand their fears 

“I find talking to the older children about their hobbies, their plans for the school holidays, or something light, brings comfort before surgery. These interactions don’t just build trust – they are also useful later such as in the anaesthetic room, where returning to a familiar conversation can ease anxiety.” 

 She also explains to them what is happening in their brains when they feel anxious: “I explain our brains are like our bodyguards, trying to protect us, but sometimes they overreact. When children understand that, it becomes less scary. They say, ‘Okay, I’ve got it, I’ll be fine.’” 

Working alongside clinical teams

Her work also directly supports the clinical teams. By preparing children and families ahead of procedures, Kornelia helps create smoother, more efficient appointments. Ahead of operations, she will discuss with the multi-disciplinary team children who are known to have particularly severe medical anxiety, even for simple procedures, and plan how to support them. 

 She also advocates for flexibility and individualisation. “Something as simple as knowing a child prefers a particular toy or scent can change how a procedure feels. If we can accommodate it, why not?”