Tracheostomy mascot celebrates fifth birthday

Staff and patients on our hospital’s tracheostomy ward wished a wonderful fifth birthday to their friend and mascot, Raki the Raccoon.

Supported by our charity, Raki is a very special raccoon with a tracheostomy on their neck. A tracheostomy is an opening created at the front of the neck so a tube can be inserted into the windpipe (trachea) to help patients breathe.

Our Children’s Hospital staff were inspired to create Raki to help tracheostomy patients better understand their condition, giving them a toy who looks just like them, so they feel less alone and ‘different’.

Raki is the first mascot of their kind for tracheostomy patients in the UK and originally the brainchild of two hospital staff: Aisha Hamzah, one of our ear, nose and throat clinical nurse specialists, and Jo Matthews, a senior speech and language therapist.

The special raccoon was designed by Nick Hardman, who specialises in using 3D print and design to create accessible toys for children to help them better understand and normalise medical conditions.

One of our patient families said: “Having a tracheostomy fitted is a life-changing experience and can feel really daunting and scary. Kids can take Raki to appointments and when they feel scared, they have something to turn to and cuddle.

“This simple but genius idea is the difference between a scary hospital appointment to one that’s not so bad if you have your best cuddly friend with you.”

Huge thanks to everyone who joined to celebrate Raki’s birthday and their special role helping our tracheostomy patients.