New sculpture brings joy to children visiting Norfolk Hospital
Local dad creates sculpture for local hospital following his daughters treatment
A new sculpture aims to uplift young patients at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) in Norfolk.
Created by local artist Billy Bickell from King’s Lynn, the handcrafted wooden totem pole now stands in the garden of the Children’s Day Surgery Unit.
Made from a tree originally cut down at the Royal Estate of Sandringham, the artwork features playful characters, including a capybara, penguin, unicorn, and gingerbread men.
The piece is designed to spark imagination and conversation for those visiting the Hopsital
Billy was inspired by his daughter Jeana’s experience at the hospital, he said he wanted to give something back to the team who cared for her.
“I wanted to create something that children could connect with,” Billy said.
“The team at The QEH looked after my daughter so wonderfully and this felt like a small way to say thank you.”
Eight-year-old Jeana contributed to the design by naming the unicorn on the totem as 'Wildstar', inspired by her favourite Unicorn Academy book.
" I hope other children like it and it makes them feel happy when they see it,” Jeanna said.
The addition has been welcomed by hospital staff, Chris Harrison, Lead Paediatric Nurse at the Day Surgery Unit, said:
“This beautiful sculpture has transformed our outdoor space into something really special,”
“It gives children something to focus on and enjoy, helping to ease nerves.”