HCA Labs welcomed Maya-Lee to be a scientist for the day, along with her Mum Sarah and nurses from The Portland Hospital.
Maya-Lee had to spend a month in hospital at The Portland over Christmas time and was put forward by the team there to visit the laboratories. Wearing her special Harvey’s lab coat Maya-Lee got to visit blood sciences to see what happens to blood when it is tested.
She saw some of our analysers and robots working in biochemistry, where she took lots of notes in her pocket notebook.
In haematology she looked at blood down the microscope and drew some pictures of red and white blood cells to match what she saw. Maya-Lee then visited the blood transfusion laboratory and saw how we find out someone’s blood group and saw how blood products are kept ready for when a patient might need them.
Everyone in the lab was very happy to welcome our visitors and there were lots of smiles all around. At the end of the visit Maya-Lee took home her Harvey’s goody bag, and said the microscope had been her favourite part!
Harvey’s is a fantastic initative formed to allow young people with long-term health conditions and needle phobias to visit medical laboratories and see what happens to their blood. Their aim is to help young people understand their illnesses and be more involved in their healthcare. We are so proud to say HCA Labs and the Portland Hospital are part of the Harvey’s initiative.
HCA Labs welcomed Maya-Lee to be a scientist for the day
Wearing her special Harvey’s lab coat
She saw some of our analysers and robots working in biochemistry
In haematology she looked at blood down the microscope
Maya-Lee then visited the blood transfusion laboratory
