Josh's Lab Tour at William Harvey Hospital
Josh has severe combined immunodeficiency, so he often needs blood tests to check his IgG levels. Over time, he has become very curious about what happens to his blood after it leaves his arm. This tour was a great opportunity for him to see the journey his samples take and meet some of the people who work hard to test them.
Josh with the immunology analyser that measures IgG in blood samples
Josh sending a pod back to the clinical area
Josh loading a sample onto the blood analyser
Josh watching the biochemistry sample track at work
Josh wasted no time getting involved. One of his first jobs was sending a sample pod back to the clinical area through the vacuum tube system. Then, in Biochemistry, he met Nick, a biomedical scientist who showed him the Biochemistry Sample Track. This machine can spin samples, take the lids off, send them to the analyser, put the lids back on and store them in the fridge. This was Josh's favourite machine, and he told everyone it was even better than his Hot Wheels!
In the Blood Transfusion Laboratory, Josh met Maddy and learned how to load a sample onto the blood analyser, which tells staff what blood group a patient has. He also had the chance to see donor blood and platelet bags up close, learning how important they are for helping patients.
Isla, blood transfusion practitioner and phlebotomy lead for the William Harvey Hospital, said:
We all loved having Josh and Kayleigh visit the lab and it was a real pleasure to show them around. Josh was a natural biomedical scientist and he asked some fantastic questions. The teams who work in the laboratory can feel a bit hidden from view, but play a vital role in more than 75 per cent of diagnoses so it was wonderful to be able to shine a light on our work.
By the end of his tour, Josh had impressed everyone with how quickly he picked things up. The team loved showing him around and answering his questions. Josh left with a big smile and a better understanding of the vital work that goes on behind the lab doors.
Josh's mum said:
Josh and I found the tour really interesting and it helped us both make sense of his conditions and his treatment. I’ve read so much about his disease and how it presents, but being shown it first hand with the opportunity to ask questions was so helpful.
A huge thank you to the team at William Harvey Hospital for making Josh’s visit so special, and well done to Josh for getting so involved during his visit!!
