Childhood is about innocence, play and fun. It is about exploring, learning and making friends. Unfortunately, childhood is also about illnesses, hospitals, vaccinations and medical procedures – a part that no child or parent looks forward to.
Joytingle, a social enterprise founded by the young entrepreneur Esther Wang addresses this challenging yet unavoidable part of childhood and strives to turn it into a positive learning experience for the child and the parent. Joytingle’s pioneer product ‘Rabbit Ray,’ resonates with its core philosophy of, “Children First, Patients Second.”
On the outside, Rabbit Ray with its long, flappy bunny ears and smiling face seems a cute character any child would love to play with! Flip it open and Rabbit Ray transforms into a medical education tool, revealing an aesthetically arranged set of real medical instruments. These include a plastic syringe, a bottle to collect blood or other sample, a connecting tube and a needle free intravenous catheter.
But this is not all. The uniqueness of Rabbit Ray lies in how children, with a little guidance, can use the instruments to simulate a blood draw or a vaccination. The plastic syringe it holds can be filled with coloured water and be injected by the child in the tiny slot provided on the bunny’s arm. The child can also experiment with the catheter and connecting tube to inject and draw liquid. The ‘sample’ can be collected in the bottle attached at the end of the connecting tube. Once done, the child can arrange the instruments in their respective slots (an exercise requiring gross motor skills) and gently join the two halves to rebuild her ‘Rabbit Ray’ again.
This hands-on experience allows the child to role-play as a doctor or a nurse. It also helps her understand that the process (in most cases) can be quick and hence the pain will be short lived too. Rabbit Ray encourages the child to ask questions and prompts the parent to address these queries in an easily comprehensible manner. It also helps the doctor/ nurse as they don’t have to calm down the child and spend time explaining the process before every procedure.
Much thought has gone into designing and detailing Rabbit Ray and in making it safe for use by children. Rabbit Ray is made out of polypropylene, which is known to be BPA-free, non–toxic, and is 100% recyclable. It can be cleaned easily using alcohol wipes. The magnets that hold the outer cover are well embedded, not visible and ensure safety. The placement of the instruments is clever to allow handling by small hands.
The product conforms to WHO guidelines on medical accuracy and safety and has been fact checked by a team comprising of a doctor, two nurses and one allied health care professional from the NUH, Singapore.
Come June, Rabbit Ray will be available with an updated app on Android and iPad that provides step-by-step instructions on the use of Rabbit Ray. The app will also guide the child through frequently asked questions such as, “How much pain will I feel during a jab?” or “Does the needle stay inside my body after a shot?”
Through role-play, simulation and reasoning, Rabbit Ray cuts through medical jargon without comprising on accuracy of facts. The ultimate objective is to mitigate the fear and anxiety that children feel before any injection or blood-draw by bringing down their pain perception to realistic levels. It replaces the fear with the understanding achieved in the most joyful way possible- Play!
As Esther Wang, the creator of ‘Rabbit Ray’ says, “Toys, candies and videos have long been used to distract a child but these present only a short term solution; Rabbit Ray is unique as it educates the child, maximising the opportunity to promote healthcare understanding for a long-term impact.”
Rabbit Ray has been presented and accepted in several international medical conferences as a breakthrough product in educating the child and in managing his/ her fear of medical procedures involving the use of needles. It is heartening to know that young patients at the National University Hospital and KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Singapore will be greeted with a warm bunny smile as Rabbit Ray will soon reach these hospitals. – AsiaForGood
If you want to find more about socially conscious living in Asia, check out Asia For Good’s social enterprise directory.
This interview feature was published for DBS Bank- Asia for Good, an initiative to support and fund social entrepreneurs in Asia. It has been retrieved from the web archives.
Fear Of Pain Is Now Child's Play | Asia For Good
