By Ellen Blessington | Senior Community and Communications Fundraiser
At the Theodora Children's Charity we help children living with illness, disability and serious health challenges to feel better using the proven power of laughter. Our vision is to contribute to the wellbeing of children in the 22 hospitals and specialist care centres we visit across England.
By combining music, play, magic and storytelling our 26 Giggle Doctors bring joy and laughter to brave children in challenging times. From Dr Bananas to Dr Yoho, our Giggle Doctors wear their very own 'doctor coats', which represents their character, and spend time one to one with the children. During their visits our Giggle Doctors aim to, reduce stress and anxiety, increase opportunities for play and improve children’s well-being.
How your support helps children in hospital
Our Giggle Doctors have been able to visit 2,050 children all over the country since returning visit children in hospitals, despite ongoing Covid-19 restrictions. We keep in regular contact with our 25 hospital and specialist care centre partners and have been able to resume in person visits to 7 of them, with 3 additional partners this week confirming we can return to visits from next month!
We have had parents get in touch to share lovely stories and photos of when their children met the Giggle Doctors.
"Many thanks to the Giggle Doctors who brought so much happiness to my 6 year old boy and also to his parents after 3 long days and major surgery. Noah had been in a lot of pain and was feeling fed up. The Giggle Doctors were superb and made him feel so happy and special, they were great at what they do ensuring it was personal and all about him and his toy monkey. Thanks so much!" - A parent
"Just had a wonderful visit from Dr Easy Peasy who really put a smile on my little boys face and made him giggle so much. Such a lovely way to brighten up his time in hospital. He loves his new Racoon - James!" - Nadia
Giggle Doctor featured in the Guardian
Dr Bungee was featured in an article on The Guardian and discussed what it means for him to be a Giggle Doctor, how he helps empower children in hospital, and the unforgettable memories he has shared with families. Click here to read the full article!
Junior Giggle Doctors are back on the wards
Dr Fancypants is a Junior Giggle Doctor in her final year of training. Although they are highly trained performers when they arrive, Trainee and Junior Giggle Doctors must complete key elements of Theodora's two year training in order to become a fully-fledged Giggle Doctor. This year Dr Fancypants will undertake regular 'duo' hospital visits over a 9-12 month period with a Senior Giggle Doctor such as Dr Geehee, and have 3 more observed 'Progress Visits'.
Our Impact
Children receiving treatment in hospital or at home are often isolated from their peers to help keep them safe, and this means they miss out on vital opportunities for play and fun. Our highly trained team of Giggle Doctors help these children, bringing play, music, magic, laughter and imagination to them wherever they are.
“...she had all the parents laughing, all the staff laughing, all the patients laughing and it just completely changed up the atmosphere of the whole department.” - Natalie Cummins, Play and Youth Service Team Lead, Chelsea and Westminster Trust
Giggle Doctors help to reduce children’s stress levels and feelings of isolation, give them a greater sense of control, improving their mood and their level of playfulness.
We were so grateful to have your support and as you can see, it has made a big difference. As a small charity we have seen our income impacted in the last few years, meaning now more than ever we are relying on the generosity of our supporters to help us to continue bringing magical moments to children and their families at a time when they need it most.
Thank you for your continued support.
If you have any questions or would like to find out more, please feel free to email ellen.blessington@theodora.org.
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By Ellen Blessington | Senior Community and Communications Fundraiser
By Ellen Blessington | Senior Community and Communications Fundraiser
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