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Gingerbread houses are tasty Christmas craft

Friday 27 December 2019 in News from the Cancer Centre

Patients created elaborate houses out of gingerbread, lollies and icing that looked too good to eat in the Oncology Clinic on Friday 20 December.

“Not all patients are well enough to visit the clinic so we have extra packets that can go back to the wards with patients or their families,” said Gaye O’Donohue who helped organise the event with her husband, Robert, and friend Kirsty Reynolds.

Gingerbread house making began about five years ago when Gaye and Robert's daughter, Marnie Latz, was inspired to help children at the hospital have some fun because she remembered when her own son, Liam, was a patient in Oncology at The Children's Hospital at Westmead when he was younger.

Kirsty, who today was busy helping kids put icing sugar on their houses to help 'glue' lollies in place, was a teacher and had tutored Liam during his illness. "We try to give back to the hospital," she said.

"Some houses look amazing," said Kirsty. "And some kids love eating the lollies while they're making it and ask why they haven't got many lollies left."

Luckily there were lots of lollies on hand for kids who were tempted while creating their masterpiece, and many were able to make it up to Oncology from their wards or Ronald McDonald House for a change of scene and something fun to do.

Brooke, a patient, carefully created a gingerbread house with beautifully placed lollies.

Her mother, Linda, admired her creation saying she was not surprised it looked so good as her daughter did a lot of art and was especially good at drawing portraits.

The gingerbread houses kept patients entertained all afternoon, making an edible decoration that was uniquely theirs, that they could share on Christmas Day.

Thank you to Gaye and Richard O'Donohue and Kirsty Reynolds for creating such a special afternoon for so many patients.

 

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