An oasis for sick kids has opened at The Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital.

The enchanted garden is a welcome addition to the new facility.

Deon Savage reports.

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Funded by the George Gregan Foundation, the interactive playground officially opened today.

The kids got a visit from the rugby great himself but it was the children who cut the ribbon.

The playground is one-of-a-kind using different sensory equipment throughout.

George Gregan, George Gregan Foundation: “Everyone’s varied degrees of illness, within the hospital, so some people can’t actually go around and play but they can touch and feel use their eyesight and be educated.”

The theme of the playground is described as a branch within the Lady Cilento’s tree of life.

More than $600,000 was raised to design and build the area.

Sue McKee, Children’s Health Qld: “It’s a very interactive environment and it also has the capacity, doesn’t matter what the child’s level is, whether they are in a wheelchair, they might be hearing impaired, so there’s lots of different ways to interact with the environment.”

The area incorporates a variety of old and new using some animal sculptures from the old Royal Children’s Hospital.

The play area is a crucial part of the healing process and provides a much needed escape from the hospital ward.

The space will be used by several groups families are able to watch from the green space behind the play area.

Deon Savage, QUT News.