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Inspiring hospital staff surprise ballet-loving cancer patient with ‘Swan Lake’ routine

28 October 2020, 12:10 | Updated: 28 October 2020, 12:32

Hospital staff surprise young Izzy with ‘Swan Lake’. Picture: Worcestershire Acute NHS

By Sian Moore

Impromptu pirouettes, multi-coloured tutus and one heroic medical team bring a moment of unexpected joy to a ballet-loving young cancer patient’s day.

Izzy, a young cancer patient, was met with a heartwarming surprise from a medical team at the Worcestershire Royal Hospital Children’s Clinic.

Staff had heard that the five-year-old was obsessed with ballet, and decided to take their patient care the extra mile.

With colourful tutus to spruce up their uniforms, Dr Baylon Kamalarajan and Emma Mander entered Izzy’s room en pointe, pirouetting and jeté-ing to the music of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake.

The unexpected performance caught the little girl completely by surprise. Her reaction is something quite special...

Hospital staff perform ballet routine for young cancer patient

“I can actually do a pirouette on one leg,” Izzy tells the medical staff, before twirling on the spot.

The spontaneous routine attracts the attention of Kamalarajan and Mander’s colleagues, who watch on from a distance and end up in fits of laughter.

Izzy is currently undergoing chemotherapy treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia after she relapsed earlier this year, according to the Daily Mail.

Worcestershire Royal Hospital’s official Twitter account shared the sweet moment last week (26 October).

Ballet-obsessed 5-year-old girl left beaming when hospital staff unexpectedly performed Swan Lake ballet. Picture: Twitter / @WorcsAcuteNHS

Dawn Forbes, the unit’s children and young people’s oncology nurse, said: “Izzy is a delightful little girl and is taking everything in her stride.

“We thought it would be a nice way to cheer up. She always has ballet books with her and brings them in to read during her treatment.”

Forbes explained that Izzy was in to have a dressing changed, which can be quite an anxious situation for a child. So, staff thought the performance might help to relax her.

“They both did a very good job, they showed some impressive moves,” Dawn continued. “They only had a quick two-minute chat outside the room before coming up with the routine.”