Shawdesh Desk:

An artist has used Disney characters to transform a hospital’s X-ray room to help put children at ease.

Daniel Russell-Ahern, known as Mr Murals, donated more than 170 hours of his time at Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

Charity money paid for part of the work, featuring characters from films like The Lion King and Toy Story.

Mr Russell-Ahern, from Castle Bromwich, asked young patients which characters they would like to see.
The end result is a glow-in-the-dark, space-themed mural, featuring Toy Story’s Buzz Lightyear, Mickey and Minnie, as well as Sonic the Hedgehog and Simba from The Lion King.

“I jumped at the chance to get involved, and volunteering my time seemed like the right thing to do,” Mr Russell-Ahern said.

“Knowing my work will put smiles on the faces of the kids is payment enough for me. It’s been a really enjoyable and collaborative process, and the staff have been great in keeping me going through the long hours by bringing me cups of tea and dropping by for a chat.”

Claire Evans, a paediatric radiographer, said the reaction from patients so far has been “fantastic”.

“We are all in awe of what Daniel’s created for us,” she said.

“The murals are a real talking point and, not only will they help our young patients relax in what could otherwise be quite a daunting experience, they’ve also given our staff in Radiology a real sense of pride in their working environment.”