The radiation therapy bunker used for paediatric patients at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre is now full of birds, butterflies and snowflakes. An animated light show has been installed to welcome young patients to the room, to ease anxiety and distract them before their radiotherapy treatment. 

 

Now as an ongoing collaborative project, the project was the brainchild of Medical Radiation Practitioner Dr Daniel Sapkaroski who worked with the Centre for Projection Art and artist Jacob Tolo to make his vision a reality. 

 

“We really wanted to bring the outside in and make the entrance to the bunker fun and interactive for kids as they come through to the treatment machine,” Dr Sapkaroski says. “Seeing the smiles on their faces as they chase the birds and butterflies and try to catch the snowflakes is what it’s all about.”

 

The projection installation is the latest in a series of innovative projects by Peter Mac’s Radiation Therapy department to make treatment less daunting for young patients. The team also use virtual reality, radiation therapy mask painting and special effects videos documenting the patients’ treatment journey to make the process a little less scary both for the kids and their families.