New book to help young patients with chronic kidney disease at Birmingham hospital understand their treatment pathway

My Kidney Journey

All young children with chronic kidney disease will receive their own copy of the book which comes with felt tips and a ‘My Kidney Journey’ drawstring bag. The book can be used by the children and their families to talk about treatments they may require for their kidney disease at different stages of their journey.

Non-profit publishers Get Better Books have previously worked with Great Ormond Street Hospital and Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool to create bespoke patient materials for children facing a range of clinical conditions. Their designer and illustrator Georgina Potier said: “We started Get Better Books with the goal of creating beautiful, interactive books and communication design to help paediatric patients understand their treatment, alleviate anxiety and get better!”

Catriona Ryan, cystinosis/CKD clinical nurse specialist, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, said: “The book is fun, interactive and engaging. It’s the first of its kind to be produced and will support young children, giving them a voice and a way to process their thoughts and feelings in a way which makes sense to them.

“The whole nephrology team is really proud of ‘My Kidney Journey’ and are thankful to Get Better Books and Kidney Research UK who together with our own charity, Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity, have made it a reality.”