Being ill and needing medical treatment is difficult at any point in life, but when you are a child it is particularly confusing and scary. Our Giggle Doctors help children living with illness, disability and serious health challenges feel better using the proven power of laughter. Giggle Doctors are specially trained performers who visit children in hospitals to help reduce stress and anxiety, support their wellbeing, create opportunities for play and improve their experience of hospital.
Children with a serious illness, a longterm health condition or disability often have to endure numerous, lengthy hospital stays. The procedures they go through are can be painful or uncomfortable, causing a great deal of stress and anxiety. Children can feel incredibly isolated and bored during appointments and long hospital stays. For parents, keeping them entertained and seeing their child in pain can be one of the hardest things they experience.
Play is vital for children, but not often found in hospitals, despite research proving the physical and mental health benefits for children undergoing treatments. Our Giggle Doctors visit over 1,000 children a month throughout the UK and combine music, play, magic and storytelling to help reduce stress and anxiety, improve a child's experience of hospital and create opportunities for play. The play is always child - led, with each interaction being unique to the child and their needs.
A Giggle Doctor visit isn't just about one magical moment, it can have a lasting impact on a child's wellbeing . Parents have shared that they can sit back and watch their child play, laugh, and smile, often for the first time in a long time; and that their child was able to look forward to rather than dread future hospital visits. They also contribute towards the positive atmosphere on the ward, easing the anxiety of parents, families, and helping improve the mood for NHS staff.
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