Magic string is a psychological therapeutic aid used to make radiotherapy treatment for children less stressful.
[1] Patients receiving radiotherapy have to be alone inside a lead-lined room, since only they can be exposed to the radiation,[2] and also have to stay still during the treatment, with the necessary immobility being achieved through the use of a radiotherapy mask that covers the face and shoulders and is fastened to the treatment bed.
The use of magic string, simply a multi-coloured ball of twine, was learned about in 2007 by Lobke Marsden, a play specialist at the Bexley Wing oncology unit of St James's University Hospital in Leeds,[2] as a low-cost solution to the problem of children's difficulties with radiotherapy.
[1] In 2017, Marsden told Ellen Wallwork of The Huffington Post, "String is perfect for children that really need that connection with their parents.
[2]Writing in The Guardian in June 2018, Rachel Clarke said, "Cheap as chips and priceless, magic string was created not for profit or personal gain – but simply because someone cared".