Six-year-old Sylvie, who has a form of blood cancer similar to leukaemia, has chemotherapy treatment shared between the Royal London and Great Ormond Street Hospital.
She has a surgical implant in her chest which needs to be regularly accessed using a needle.
Her mother Rebecca said: “At the beginning of her treatment she found that really traumatic and really difficult.
“A lot of that was about her not understanding what was happening – people’s hands coming towards her, needles coming towards her.”
After Sylvie began working with Katie, her mother said: “It transformed her experience.
“It’s been so, so important for Sylvie, dealing with her anxiety, having that trauma-informed approach.”
Cathy Gilman, chief executive of Starlight, said: “We have evidence that shows that where health play specialists are involved, a procedure like an MRI for example, can be conducted without anaesthetic.
“That means save the anaesthesia, fewer people involved, costs savings in the team. We can show that play really does pay.
“But most important of all, it’s about children’s experience of healthcare and making it as good as it can be so their lifelong experience of healthcare is a positive one.”
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