Starlight Stories

“What Crohn's took away from me, play gave back”

Annika Solanki was one of Starlight’s first Youth Panel members when it launched in 2024. The panel is for 14-17-year-olds, and she graduated from the group last summer when she turned 18.  

Diagnosed with Crohn’s disease ten years ago, Annika brought her lived experience to the panel to help shape and improve services for other young people. She also added a powerful voice to our cause when she attended two Westminster events last year, where she spoke openly about her experiences of therapeutic health play.  

A long road to diagnosis 

Annika’s healthcare journey has involved many hospital visits and two admissions, and she describes having mixed access to health play along the way. 

“It was a huge challenge for me to be diagnosed initially,” she recalled. “The GPs were unable to figure out what was going on, and after three years of feeling constantly ill, I was finally referred to Chelsea & Westminster Hospital, where they managed to diagnose my condition.” 

In some settings a health play specialist would distract her during blood tests using toys and books – something which she says has had a lasting impact.  

“That’s a huge part of the reason why I don’t fear blood tests so much now,” she said. “A lot of children with health conditions have to get bloods drawn regularly, like me, and being less afraid of them because of health play specialists has been a huge help to me, even now.”  (Image: Annika in hospital)

Coping with pain and fear 

Annika, who is currently a student and hopes to go to university, has also been admitted to Chelsea & Westminster Hospital twice and during those stays, play had an important role in helping her cope. 

“In my most recent admission in March 2024, the play team helped me greatly when I was sitting in my hospital room feeling low and in pain. I remember the time when the health play specialist came and sat with me for 3-4 hours making a puzzle with me to distract me when my Crohn's flare up was particularly bad which helped me to be less focused on my physical pain,” she recalled. 

The challenge of transitioning to adult services 

Annika said she would also have found more access to play beneficial when she was having procedures during out-patient appointments: “It would have made it a lot less scary knowing what was going to happen in a way I could understand as a child” and significantly she feels there is a gap in support to prepare young people with chronic conditions for life as an adult patient too. (Image: Annika in hospital)

“I had a transition appointment with my doctor and the nurse who would be looking after me in the adult ward, but it was quite short and I didn’t really feel ready to move on from having that appointment as there were still many unanswered questions. It felt like quite an abrupt change for me.” - Annika 

Why play matters and having a voice 

Reflecting on her positive experiences she added: “I'm very grateful to all the wonderful NHS doctors, nurses and health play specialists, especially at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, who have helped me so much and to Starlight who have given me a platform to share my experiences. (Image: Annika talking to Tom Hayes MP at the Westminster drop-in hosted by Starlight) 

“Play in healthcare is so important to me because it helps children to cope with hospital surroundings by giving them a great sense of normality and distracts us from the pain caused by our conditions. Health play specialists made me feel welcomed and like I belonged even when the hospital environment felt so alien. What Crohn's took away from me, play gave back.”