Harry is a physiotherapist at Helen & Douglas House. For the last nine years, Harry has specialised in paediatric physiotherapy and started working at Helen & Douglas House in February 2023. We met with Harry to find out more about his role, the impact he has on the children we care for, and talked about some of the special moments he has had here that he will treasure forever.
Hello, I’m Harry…
I’m Harry and I support the children and young people who come to Helen & Douglas House who live with life-limiting conditions. I work with them to apply non-pharmacological approaches for managing their pain, assist with postural management strategies, enhance mobility and independence, help managing respiratory symptoms and ultimately focus on participation in activities. A non-pharmacological approach means that we practice a type of healthcare intervention which isn’t primarily based on medication.
My journey into the world of paediatric physiotherapy was first influenced by personal experiences and a long-standing passion for helping children. I was inspired by my siblings’ experiences with physiotherapy during their younger years, and my path naturally led me towards a career that combined my love for science, sports, and working with children.
A day in the life of Harry
My days are very varied here and there is no typical day. Whether it’s spent in play areas of the hospice, in one of the sensory rooms, or a child’s bedroom, I adapt my work to wherever the child feels most comfortable and content. This flexibility extends to outreach work, where I visit children in their homes or at their schools. I work closely with the families to understand the challenges of living with a child who has complex needs, so often travel to a family home to help reduce the burden of travel, but also to help gain an understanding of their home life and setup which ensures my approach is specific to that child, young person and family.
I enjoy the broad variety of work I do at Helen & Douglas House. I enjoy bringing my experiences and skills from previous roles to meet the diverse and unique needs of each child, whether it’s seeing a six-month-old with breathing difficulties or supporting a 16-year-old with a cancer diagnosis. Every session, every child and every moment are different.
Moments of Impact
I have had many special moments in my career and during my role at Helen & Douglas House. A recent experience that had a significant impact on me was when I met a girl called Nicole in March 2023 at Helen & Douglas House. Nicole had been diagnosed in December 2022 with a complex oncology diagnosis. When I first met Nicole, she was in significant pain, affecting her ability to do simple tasks such as getting out of bed. I spent lots of time with Nicole both at Helen & Douglas House, and at home, working with her and her family focused on specific goals important to her.
Her primary goal was returning to school. After spending time with Nicole at home, I worked with her school to educate her teachers and peers about her diagnosis, and how best to support her on re-integration to school. Nicole and I put together a session where her friends could ask questions, ensuring their questions were answered and wellbeing was met, and ultimately allow Nicole to feel confident in returning to a supportive environment at school. Nicole returned to school in May 2023 and had an incredible summer, doing things that she and her family never thought would be possible.
A standout moment of mine was watching her cross the finish line at the Bubble Rush event in September 2023 and handing her a medal. It was incredibly special as seeing Nicole complete 5km after such significant challenges when I first met her, showed how far she had come. That single moment showed all the effort Nicole had put in with my support was worthwhile. Sadly, Nicole died at the end of 2023. Knowing that she got to do the things she enjoyed most before she died allowed me to reflect on the importance of my input, but ultimately Nicole’s incredible determination to overcome the challenges she faced and enjoy many happy moments with family and friends.
Bethan, Nicole’s Mum said:
‘Harry motivated Nicole to become more mobile at a time when she was scared to leave the safety of her hospital bed. He gave her small achievable goals, listened to her concerns and built a very trusting relationship with her. As a result of Harry being trusted by Nicole, her recovery from symptoms was accelerated. Nicole had a period of being in and out of hospital and hospice, she was rarely home and had become distrusting of the medical world. Harry successfully broke Nicole’s mindset and she lived a much more positive life’.
Feeling valued
I’ve never felt more valued in a job than I do here and that’s both from an organisational and team point of view, but also from the feedback I have received from families. It has been incredibly humbling knowing the positive impact I have made has been incredibly powerful.
Hear from our families
Here are a few quotes from families whose children receive physiotherapy at Helen & Douglas House, showcasing the positive impact Harry brings.
‘Harry has been an excellent addition to Helen House. He has a great deal of knowledge which is very apparent speaking to him, he’s very thorough, considerate, and practical with his approach’.
‘Harry has trained staff up to manage my child’s needs respiratory wise, so we are now able to leave him to go for a walk/coffee etc and also knowing there are staff who can suction him/ do his physio overnight if need be’.
‘It’s been absolutely fantastic, having Harry there on hand is a massive benefit’.