At Canberra Hospital Foundation, we are privileged to support life-changing programs like the Palliative Play Therapy Program, which brings comfort, connection, and creativity to families during their most vulnerable moments.
Paediatric Palliative Care nurse Kendell Smith recently shared one such story. A powerful journey that began on Christmas Day 2023, when baby Marcel entered the world under unimaginable circumstances.
Kendell speaks on how play, music, and moments of joy helped a little boy defy expectations, and how the community’s support made it all possible:
“Marcel was born at midnight on Christmas Day which was a beautiful, symbolic start to his life. But just a few days later, I met him under heartbreaking circumstances. Marcel had suffered a severe hypoxic brain injury, and his prognosis was very poor. After a failed extubation attempt, an MRI revealed damage to his brain stem. The team wasn’t sure he would ever breathe on his own."
His parents wanted to give him one more chance. During the second attempt, just as we were about to re-intubate, Marcel took a breath. It was a miracle. That moment changed everything.”
The Palliative Play Therapy Program, along with Kendell’s team, were able to support Marcel and his family during that time.
“In those early days, we were focused on creating meaningful memories. When Marcel had his first bath, we used the Polaroid camera, which is an item funded by the Canberra Hospital Foundation, to capture that special moment for his family. It was a small but powerful act of care.
Later, once Marcel was at home, our play therapists Larah and Anna joined me for a home visit. We brought music, paint, and joy with us. We made hand and foot prints with Marcel and his two siblings and sang songs together. Marcel had just been fitted with hearing aids, so the music was even more emotional… there were definitely tears from all of us!”
It was a way to celebrate life, even in the uncertainty. That’s what palliative play therapy offers: a space for joy, for memory-making and for healing, even when the outcome is unknown.
So, where is Marcel now on his journey?
“He’s a little miracle. Marcel is now 16 months old. He’s walking, he’s talking — and he has defied all expectations. I’ve officially discharged him from the Paediatric Palliative Care service.
When I saw his parents for the discharge, we took one more Polaroid photo as his ‘graduation photo.’ It felt like everything had come full circle. From capturing his first bath to celebrating his milestone moment, every photo tells a story of hope."
What would you like people to know about the impact of CHF funding on your work?
“The little things make the biggest difference: a Polaroid camera, paint for prints, a speaker for music… These aren’t just tools for our play therapists. They’re different ways to connect, to create memories, and to bring peace to families during what can be the hardest time of their lives.
Thanks to Canberra Hospital Foundation and every person who donates, we can provide care that is not just clinical, but truly compassionate.”
Marcel's Mum, Elise, has passed on her own words of thanks for his journey:
"We extend our deepest gratitude to Kendell, Canberra Hospital Foundation and the Palliative Care team at Canberra Health Services for all they have done, and also want to share our gratitude to God for Marcel's life."
Because of the generosity of our community, children like Marcel and families like his can receive emotional support that makes all the difference. Thank you for helping us fund programs like Palliative Play Therapy that create moments of light in the darkest times.
