AN ANIMATED film written by a former Evening Times Scotswoman of the Year is helping to take the fear out of hospital visits for young children.

Sandy the Starfish meets Doctor Dolphin is based on a picture book Laura Young wrote with her husband John more than 10 years ago.

Their daughter Verity, who died when she was eight years old after battling lupus and cancer for much of her young life, hated hospitals.

Her fear, and the stress of watching their little girl struggle to cope with appointments and treatment, inspired Laura and John to set up the art therapy charity Teapot Trust.

“Verity absolutely hated going to hospital – she would kick and scream and run away as soon as we tried to put her into the car,” recalls Laura, who was named SWOTY in 2016.

“She was terrified, and would hide under the bed, rolling from side to side each time you tried to catch her. One day she hid in the laundry basket, under all the dirty sheets, just to get away from us.”

Laura adds: “She would wriggle, Houdini-like, out of the car seat. It was really awful, and John and I knew we couldn’t be the only parents going through this.

“We searched for something that could help but there were no books aimed at pre-school-age children.

“Everything we found was about the male, white doctor with his lab coat and head mirror, examining the little person’s spots or broken leg, fixing it up and sending them home.

“For children with chronic illnesses, who face appointments and blood tests and treatments again and again, for months and even years, there was nothing to help them understand it. So we decided to write a book ourselves.”

Laura and John, who live in East Lothian with their daughters Nina and Isla, came up with the idea of Sandy the Starfish. It was an instant hit with medical staff and popular with parents, keen to try anything to help their struggling children.

“It’s been quite popular over the years and recently, we thought it would be great to turn it into an animation that could be shown in hospital waiting rooms and outpatient departments.”

With stop motion animation by Elina Karadzhova and narration by 12-year-old Isla, the cheerful, clever film shows what may happen when children visit hospital.

Laura explains: “Watching Sandy will help children understand that they do not need to be nervous about attending hospital appointments and make them confident that they know what to expect.

“We’re really thrilled by the feedback and just hope it will be picked up by as many hospitals as possible.”

A Scottish launch event for medical professionals and friends of the Teapot Trust will take place in October.

John Young has written a book for teenagers, about a young cancer patient’s journey around Scotland, called Farewell Tour of a Terminal Optimist. It has been shortlisted for the Scottish Teenage Book Prize 2019.