KK Hospital: Raising awareness through storytelling, writing children’s books tackling food allergies and other medical conditions

SINGAPORE: KK Hospital is launching an innovative initiative to educate children with illnesses through storytelling and personalised storybooks.

According to a Straits Times report, this endeavour began when a concerned mother recently approached Dr Chong Kok Wee, head and senior consultant of the Allergy Service at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH), seeking a children’s book to help her preschool daughter understand her severe cashew nut allergy. Determined to educate her daughter’s classmates about the seriousness of food allergies, the mother was unable to find any local storybooks that addressed this critical topic.

Around the same time, Dr Chong was reflecting on his own experiences. After a classmate of his son returned to school following cancer treatment, teachers and volunteers organised discussions to help students understand their classmate’s journey. This got Dr Chong thinking—what if there was a storybook to help children better understand complex medical conditions?

Noticing a gap in local picture books, Dr Chong collaborated with medical specialists to create the Baby Bear Paediatric Care Series, a collection of 12 titles designed to introduce young children to various health conditions. These books, aimed at children ages three to eight, were illustrated by artist Uma Bhojraj.

The series is not just for kids facing medical challenges; it’s a tool for building empathy. Teachers and healthcare professionals can use these stories in classrooms and hospitals to help children learn about conditions like food allergies, asthma, and cancer. Dr Chong hopes that these books will foster understanding and compassion, helping children to better support their peers and family members with medical conditions.

Among the titles released in October 2024 is Milly And The Milk Disaster, a story about a little monkey with a food allergy. Future books will cover topics such as obesity, asthma, leukaemia (the most common cancer in children), eczema, epilepsy, and dysmorphism, which address children who look different.

Dr Chong’s innovative project combines education and empathy, offering a valuable resource for families, educators, and healthcare providers alike. By turning difficult medical topics into accessible stories, the Baby Bear Paediatric Care Series aims to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and ultimately empower young readers to navigate and understand the world around them with compassion.