24/11/2025
Until the age of 11, Ellis was a sporty, rugby-loving boy. Then everything changed. He began struggling to concentrate at school, developed seizures, and his parents noticed one of his eyes starting to droop. Although his brain scan was clear, Ellis was diagnosed with childhood Parkinson’s.
Over the next five years, his condition sadly worsened. He lost the ability to speak, his mobility became limited, and he experienced painful muscle contractions. He was later re-diagnosed with dystonia – a neurological movement condition that affected every part of his life.
At 16, Ellis spent more than four months at the Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital for Wales. During that time, one person made an extraordinary difference: senior play specialist Polly.
Ellis’s mum, Jo, says: “Polly would come to see Ellis every morning when she started. She was amazing. Ellis idolised her, and the weekends were long without her.”
Despite Ellis’s limited movement and inability to speak, Polly always found a way to reach him. One of the most special was a simple voice-recording button. His family recorded Joey’s “How you doin’?” from Friends, and Ellis would press it whenever Polly walked in or when they passed the nurses’ station.
Jo says Polly saw Ellis’s character immediately and helped him express it: “She made him happy on long, dark hospital days and lifted all our spirits just by being her. While the nurses were there for Ellis’s needs, Polly was there for his mental health.”
When Ellis was readmitted months later, the thought of seeing Polly again made his face light up.
Polly’s support extended to Ellis’s parents too, giving them precious moments of rest and understanding that no teenager wants their parents by their side every minute.
“It isn’t just play, it’s therapy,” Jo says. “It changes the whole day. Polly always managed to get Ellis to laugh and smile.”
Ellis may no longer be with us, but the joy that play brought him, and the lifeline it provided his family, will never be forgotten. His story is a powerful reminder that play isn’t a luxury for children in hospital. It is hope, dignity and emotional wellbeing.
Click here to read the story in full: https://noahsarkcharity.org/patients/ellis-story/
