[Self-Introduction] 19 years in a pediatric ward. What I have thought about while continuing my activities

While facing the challenges of raising children, working, and family life,
I imagine many of you have a part of your heart that thinks, "I want to do something."

If anything, I am the type of person who starts moving before I think.

It began with my life in the hospital with my son

I am currently the representative of the NPO Puku Puku Balloon in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, where I continue to deliver balloon-based play to children in pediatric wards. 2026 marks my 19th year.

The catalyst was my life in the hospital with my son.

My son developed pediatric cancer when he was young, and I spent a long time with him in the pediatric ward.
Out of about seven years of battling the illness, four were spent entirely in the hospital.

During that time, what changed my life was a single balloon that floated gently, which I received as a get-well gift.

Back then, during my son's uncertain battle with illness, I spent every day with my mind and body constantly on edge.
Whether I was awake or asleep, it felt like I was carrying a heavy stone at the bottom of my chest.

Then one day, as I was blankly watching a colorful, cute balloon swaying in the hospital room, I had a strange sensation, as if the tension was gradually draining from the core of my body.

It was a feeling of my body melting, something that couldn't be expressed by the word "healing" alone.

I didn't really understand what that sensation was back then, but even after I said goodbye to my son just before he turned 12, that feeling from that time never left my mind.

That sensation of my body melting amidst the tense days.
The feeling that I had found my true self.

"I want to do something for the children in the pediatric ward."
It wasn't immediately after I said goodbye to my son that I thought this.
For several months, I was just trying to keep myself together.
I didn't even think about starting something myself.

However, as I began volunteering at Kyoto University Hospital and seeing the smiles of the sick children, I came to strongly believe that such moments and sensations are very important within a hospital.

Especially for children, it is very important to have time where they can laugh like children, not just time for treatment.

In a hospital, just a slight softening of one's feelings can change the atmosphere of the room. When a child laughs, the expressions of the adults around them also soften a little.

I thought that if I could be the one to deliver such moments, that would be wonderful.

2008, establishing the NPO

And in 2008, I established the NPO Puku Puku Balloon.

It started with former patient families who had spent time in the same hospital, and the doctors who were my son's attending physicians.

The form of a former patient's family member and an attending physician working together is rare, and it seems there was actually some initial hesitation.

Even so, many doctors felt that 'this kind of time is necessary within the hospital,' and perhaps partly pushed by my enthusiasm, we were able to hold an energetic inaugural meeting in January 2008, exactly one year after I said goodbye to my son.

In a medical setting, curing a child's illness is the top priority.

Even if medical professionals understand the importance of time for children to smile, there are times when they simply cannot reach that far on their own.

That is precisely why I still feel that the presence of a third party involved from outside the hospital is necessary.

It was a small step that began with that thought.

Challenges encountered while continuing

However, there were many walls to climb after we started.

People wouldn't gather. Money wouldn't last. Things wouldn't progress as planned. There were also times when I felt I was pushing myself too far forward and felt a distance from those around me.

Many times, I thought, 'Maybe I should just quit,' or 'I'll just prioritize my own work!'

Even so, the reason I have been able to continue these activities is because each time,

How can I keep this going? How can I make it run sustainably? How can I avoid carrying it all on my own?

I believe it is because I have been refining the structure while thinking about these things little by little.

Of course, there were many times while continuing that things did not go as planned.

Even so, every time I see the children's smiles, I feel that 'this time is indeed necessary' and I can move on to the next step.

When the ward is filled with colorful balloons, not only the children but also their parents and the medical staff soften their expressions. A chain reaction of smiles occurs in the environment of children fighting illness.

Encouraged by such scenes many times, I have moved on to the next step again.

I believe the reason I have been able to continue for 19 years is that I have been empowered by the children's smiles in this way, overcoming walls and gradually shaping the organization.

And above all, the strength of many colleagues was significant.

Over these 19 years, I have interacted with a total of about 6,000 children and continued these activities together with over 1,000 volunteers.

Through my activities, I have connected with people from various backgrounds, thinking and acting together.

In doing so, I have learned a great deal about both the joy and the difficulty of building a community.

I have experienced many times over these 19 years that passion alone is not enough to keep going, and that things grow through our relationships with others.

That, too, has been a significant learning experience for me.

What I want to write about in this note

In this note, I plan to write about:

Why I started
What obstacles I have faced while continuing
How I have managed to keep going until now

I intend to write about such things.

Starting in 2026, I also launched a school for those who want to give shape to their activities.

Even though they have the desire to be active,

They don't know how to start
They don't know how to keep going
They end up carrying it all alone and getting stuck

I started it because I wanted to pass on even a little of what I have experienced to such people.

I would be happy if this note could reach even one person who wants to start something or who wants to continue but is feeling a bit lost.

First, I plan to write little by little about my hospital life with my son and the time when I started my NPO.

Information about my activities is also posted on the Pukupuku Balloon website.
Please take a look if you would like.

Yumiko Otake