'Medical play is like magic' for ailing kids

Using M&M’s in a game of Blood Soup is among the ways local children learn about and cope with illness

By Nancy Arcayna

~~<p>Candy isn't usually dispensed at hospitals, but at a playroom at Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children, it's a sweet tool to help young patients understand what's going on inside their bodies.</p>
<p>In a game called Blood Soup, red M&M's are used to represent healthy blood cells. White chocolate chips, standing in for cancer cells, are added, crowding out the good ones. To illustrate in simple terms how chemotherapy works, the white chips are removed, making the blood healthy again.</p>
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Candy isn't usually dispensed at hospitals, but at a playroom at Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children, it's a sweet tool to help young patients understand what's going on inside their bodies.

In a game called Blood Soup, red M&M's are used to represent healthy blood cells. White chocolate chips, standing in for cancer cells, are added, crowding out the good ones. To illustrate in simple terms how chemotherapy works, the white chips are removed, making the blood healthy again. Login for more...