Ashhurst herbalist Lynn Kirkland donates money from her latest books to Palmerston North children’s ED

Herbalist Lynn Kirkland with her two new children's books. She is donating $1 from each sale to the Palmerston North Hospital Foundation for a children's ED. Photo / Judith Lacy

Lynn Kirkland’s Herb World has a new character who wears a bright green cape of comfrey leaves.

His story is told in Captain Comfrey a Herbal Superhero and he also appears in Kirkland’s other new book, Christmas in Herb World.

Captain Comfrey’s belt has a large C to represent comfrey. The C could also refer to challenge as Kirkland is encouraging businesses to raise money for Palmerston North Hospital Foundation.

It is fundraising to build a separate children’s emergency department at the hospital.

Kirkland is donating $1 from each sale of her new books to the foundation. Her goal is to sell 500 books and raise $500.

She is challenging other businesses to do something similar.

If you are a business owner and have had experience with the ED and would like it to be different why not support the foundation, she asked.

Five hundred dollars doesn’t sound much but if 500 businesses donated $500 the result would be massive, she said.

Kirkland was a Friends of the Emergency Department volunteer for seven years and said the experience made her so grateful for her own health. She has also been at ED as a grandparent.

The proposed design of the children's emergency department to be built at Palmerston North Hospital.

The Palmerston North Hospital Foundation hopes to get builders into the vacant space by Christmas.

The child-friendly space will feature a separate waiting area for children and their whānau, four beds, a dedicated treatment room, and distraction and play equipment.

Foundation chairman Brendan Duffy said the project had been delayed due to the availability of architects and changes in the health sector.

“We hope to have builders in there by Christmas and the children’s ED ready for use in the first half of 2024.”

The spatial design proved more tricky than initially thought, with medical staff consulted to ensure it would be practical, flexible and safe for tamariki, and able to serve the community for decades to come.

Duffy said several factors had contributed to the increase in cost since the initial budget estimate last year, including the need to develop a strategy for treating children with airborne infections or contagious gastro conditions and improving ventilation systems.

“Although it’s taken a bit longer than we were expecting, the hospital team - working with the architects - have done a superb job of bringing together the proposed designs.”

The cost of the children’s ED is about $680,000, all of which will be funded by the foundation. It has so far raised $320,000, including $250,000 from an anonymous Palmerston North-based benefactor.

Continued support from the community is needed to cover the remaining $360,000, with $180,000 needed to start construction.

Duffy is confident the remaining funds will be raised so construction can start by Christmas.

ED nurse practitioner and New Zealand Nurses Organisation workplace delegate Christina Emerson says children deserve a better emergency experience at Palmerston North Hospital.

“As a nurse practitioner and as a mum I think about if I had to take my kids to the hospital. Children are often in the waiting room alongside drunk people, abusive people … it’s not very nice.”

She is looking forward to having a space purposely built to meet the physical and emotional needs of her smallest patients.

“It’s easier to build rapport with a calm, happy child and therefore easier to administer treatment.”

Captain Comfrey a Herbal Superhero is dedicated to Kirkland’s husband Bill Kirkland, aka Billy Boy, who had been asking to have a book dedicated to him for years.

Bill was sceptical when his wife first started using herbs. That was until he tore his calf muscle and was told it would take six weeks to heal.

He wrapped comfrey leaves around his leg and the next morning it felt like it had an ice pack on it. He was back training in a couple of weeks.

Christmas in Herb World starts with children comparing the length of their Christmas lists. This prompts a tuatara to provide some advice about the season.

The children learn Christmas is about giving, not just getting, and how to use herbs to make gifts.

Kirkland thinks children today are too greedy and the book is about joining together to make special gifts for special people.

It is dedicated to her friend Jocelyn who helped develop the idea.

As well as writing the text, Kirkland drew stick figures for her son Craig to do the illustrations.

She is passionate for kids to view having books as part of growing up. Phones are not the sole source of information and there is no app like sitting in a lap.

Kirkland is working with a UCOL Te Pūkenga student on animating the characters.

“My ultimate goal - and I know it is rather grand - is to be better than the Wiggles in their famousness because these characters jumping around the stage would be so cool.”

Kirkland founded The Herb Farm in 1993 and is the creator of Herb World.

Lynn Kirkland’s books are available from lynnkirkland.co.nz and The Herb Farm shop.