Norfolk grandmother's 'wiggly bags' help poorly children smile

A woman has used her sewing skills to help make her granddaughter who is undergoing cancer treatment and other young patients "smile".

Jackie Barber, from Norfolk, said she started making "wiggly" bags after Kayla, three, had a "meltdown" when she saw the medical tubes attached to her.

She has made 100 of bags used to secure and cover the tubes for Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge.

Hospital staff said they were "extremely grateful" to Mrs Barber.

Mrs Barber, 62, from Hellesdon, Norwich, said their world was "turned upside down" when Kayla was diagnosed with neuroblastoma.

She said when the youngster came around from her first bout of treatment, "there was bit of a do" when she saw her Hickman line, a catheter used to administer drugs.

Mrs Barber said Kayla was given a wiggly bag that had a "really boring" pattern for a three-year-old girl, so instead she made her one with her favourite character, Minnie Mouse, on it.

She has since made dozens of the bags and pouches for the hospital which said "the more the merrier" would be welcomed.

"I can't do much, but I can sew," she said.

"If a pretty, novelty wiggly bag or pouch gives them a brief smile at this awful time then I will make as many as I can."

Mrs Barber has appealed for spare fabric, ribbon and Velcro to help make the bags.

Addenbrooke's Hospital said: "Sometimes it is hard for our children to come to terms with having a Hickman line, however when we tell them they can pick their own wiggly bag this makes them smile and makes the idea of having a Hickman line less scary.

"We massively thank Jackie Barber for all her hard and wonderful work in making these bags. Each bag brings joy to a child."

Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected]