PATIENTS at a children's hospital and their families were treated to some movie magic this week. 

Young ones at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow were welcomed back to a specialist cinema in the facility as Covid restrictions eased up. 

In the front seat for a screening of the latest hit from Disney - Raya and the Last Dragon - was Riley Kells, from Wishaw. 

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The 9-year-old's mother, Lousie, said: "This was such a special treat for us as a family. For a few hours at least we felt ‘normal’ again. Because Riley has been in so long and we have been living on-site too at Ronald McDonald House, there’s not been a chance to do normal family activities like this.

“Everyone has been missing going to the cinema, not least of which Riley, who loves the whole movie experience.

“We were blown away when we saw the MediCinema at first – it looks like a real cinema and is right here in the middle of the hospital. We were able to forget everything else for a few hours; it was lovely."

MediCinema is a UK charity that gives patients and their families a break from the ward and all the difficulties with their specially-designed in-house cinemas, set up within hospitals and care settings across the country. 

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The cinema can seat up to 46 and can accommodate four beds and eight wheelchairs. It first opened in 2007 at the former Yorkhill hospital and a new one was incorporated into the design of the new Royal Hospital for Children.

Sheila Hay Pacifico, the manager of the Royal Hospital's cinema, said: "We are all over the moon to be back, doing what we do best, entertaining our patients. We’ve been closed most of the time during the pandemic – open for just a couple of weeks in December. We are now open again, for paediatric private family screenings at the moment. 

“Seeing Riley’s face makes it all worthwhile and reminds me just how much I love my job. It’s great to be back."