Persephone Sextou

Inspired by Mocha, our playful and curious cocker spaniel, with this story I aim to help young children understand the MRI process, feel reassured, and reduce anxiety before they go to hospital. Informed by findings from the Glowing Stars research study and aims to address the gap in age-appropriate educational resources for children under six attending MRI scans. https://ncch.org.uk/resources/glowing-stars A story to read with the child in a relaxing atmosphere at home (several times) a few days before the child visits the hospital. I would love to hear from you when you read this story with your child. Email me at psextou@gmail.com

At home
Once upon a time in a house with a beautiful garden, lived a cocker spaniel girl named Mocha. Mocha’s fur was brown like chocolate and white like snow. She had soft floppy ears and big, curious eyes that sparkled.
Mocha had been wobbly lately and had difficulty to jump and run. She had to go to the vet who is a doctor for animals to make sure that they are healthy and happy.

At the vet clinic
Helen, Mocha’s owner, scooped her up gently and drove her to the vet. The vet’s room was clean and bright. Then she met Rosy the nurse and Rob the radiographer who uses a big camera to take pictures inside a body like your bones and tummy so doctors can make sure everything is okay. Mary said the word “MRI.” Mocha’s ears drooped. “M-M-MRI?” she whispered. That sounded big. That sounded strange. That sounded… scary!

The MRI Room
Mocha and Rosy walked together towards the MRI room. Mocha stepped inside the machine. “This machine  is the Still Bubble.” Said Rob. It makes noise,” said Rosy. “I will put the headphones on your head and play some music for you. Would that be OK?” Asked Rosy. Mocha trembled a little. Then, she liked the idea of music. So, she said “OK”. Rosy put some headphones on Mocha’s head. Mocha closed her eyes. The music started playing. It felt like a warm hug.

The Bubble experience
Mocha could hear Rob’s voice talking to her through the headphones. “Mocha, you’re inside the bubble now. We just need to stand still like a statue.” Mocha listened. She stayed still... The machine made knocking sounds like a friendly robot dancing quietly. Mocha could ‘see’ blue, yellow, white and purple stars dancing to the music. And Mocha was so relaxed that she almost had a dream.

Mocha and the glowing star
In her dream, Mocha heard a gentle voice calling her. “Hello, Mocha.” It was a star floating around. “How do you know my name?” “I came to help you on your journey. Follow me.” Said the star and flew ahead of her leading the way. Mocha and the star wandered around for a while. All Mocha could see was bubbles and stars. All she could hear was music. She paused to listen. “It’s the melody of happiness.” Said the star. The music made Mocha feel happy.

The Breathing
The star flew ahead, and Lolly ran after her as fast as she could until they reached a garden. The flowers and the birds were beautiful! Mocha was jumping around running after the birds. She was so happy. Soon she got tiered. “Can we rest for a while?” “Let’s do some breathing, Mocha. It will make you feel better.” Said the star. “You will breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. I will count from 1 to 5 when you breathe in and from 5 down to 1 when you breathe out. It’s like a game! Shall we try?”. Mocha wagged her tail. She liked games. The star started counting “1,2,3,4,5…” As Mocha was breathing in, each lung filled up with air, like a small balloon. And then the star started counting down, “5,4,3,2,1…”. Mocha was relaxed.

The butterflies
“How are you feeling Mocha?” asked the star. “Better”. “Good. Look around you. What can you see?” Mocha saw many purple and blue butterflies amongst the leaves, resting on its branches. Before she knew it, the purple and green butterflies started coming to Mocha. Mocha reached out to the blue sky with both her front legs. “Make a wish!” suggested the star. “These butterflies make wishes come true”. Mocha wished to feel strong. It was such a great feeling. She did not feel worried anymore.

 Finished!
And soon Beep… beep… beep… The MRI machine finished its work. The butterflies flew back to the tree, ready to go to sleep. The star waved goodbye to Mocha and did a twirl. Rosy lifted Mocha gently. “You did it, good girl!” she said. Mocha opened her eyes. She wagged her tail, slowly at first, then faster. She was feeling fine. Rob gave Mocha a treat ‘Well done, Mocha!’ he said. ‘Brave girl!’.

Back home
When Mocha got home, Helen tucked her into her cozy bed. Mocha knew that when she felt a little scared, she could stop and take slow breaths, just like the star showed her.
Each breath helped her feel relaxed and safe.
She could close her eyes and listen to music.
She could use her imagination to go to beautiful places and play with butterflies and feel calm and happy.
Mocha had a long day.
She looked around and was fast asleep.
In her dream, a glowing star gently rolled across her back.
Then the star floated up, up, up into the air and drifted away, leaving a golden heart shining softly in the room.