Sensory room for disabled children

Hello! My name is Heather and I am a 20 year old nursing student who volunteers for Austin Hospital in my spare time. In addition to this, I have a huge passion for aquariums and marine life and am on a mission to combine both my loves, in order to benefit some of the disabled children that I work with.

Many children, particularly those with cognitive disabilities, find comfort and solace in sensory rooms, as they offer a safe place to relax and enjoy themselves. Furthermore, they promote engaging play and interaction with others, without evoking feelings of anxiety that are often felt in other environments.

Sensory rooms feature light and movement together, in order to engage the senses and stimulate specific parts of the brain to release calming hormones and after volunteering at Austin Hospital, I would love to donate the money to develop a sensory room for the patients.

The main focus of the sensory room will be a large, floor to ceiling fish tank which features colourful fish, lights and bubbles, which are scientifically proven to lower blood pressure and stress and this is why I am seeking funding today.

I have the knowledge of aquatic life, coupled with the passion of both aquariums and health care in order to make this dream a successful reality and would love to have this put in place before the end of the year, as a sort of Christmas present, not only to the patients, but the wonderful staff at the Austin.