Coronavirus: Berwick illustrator's kid-calming cartoon

The cartoon aims to make full protective kit seem less frightening

An illustrator has created a cartoon to reassure young children in hospital during the coronavirus pandemic.

Katie Chappell, from Berwick, was asked by an NHS anaesthetist to draw something that would make protective masks and gowns less frightening.

She has since been inundated with requests from hospitals around the world wanting to use her cartoons.

"I can only imagine how scary it must be for children being treated by staff in full face masks," Ms Chappell said.

Requests have come in from around the world from hospitals wanting to use the cartoons

Ms Chappell, 30, was contacted by Jayne Sutherland, an anaesthetist working in a Cardiff hospital who was worried about children being frightened of staff wearing full personal protective equipment (PPE).

The kit was "super scary" for the children and she needed "someone to illustrate a little cartoon strip for us to help prepare them for what's about to happen", Ms Sutherland said.

Since Ms Chappell posted a link to the drawings on her blog, she has had requests from as far afield as New Zealand and Boston in the United States asking to use them.

"Our NHS are really proving themselves super-heroes right now, and I was really grateful to be able to help them in some way," Ms Chappell said.

"I work as a live event illustrator and, with most live illustration events cancelled, being able to help the NHS in this way feels really good."

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