Giggle Doctor visits for children in hospital

At Theodora Children’s Charity, we often work in giggles, smiles, peaceful moments, and meaningful conversations. These can be tricky to measure with numbers, which is why we take a range of approaches to evaluating our impact. We invite children, parents, NHS staff, Giggle Doctors, donors, and many more to tell their stories or complete our surveys and help us see the difference we’re making, and how we can grow this even further. However, we do know that our fabulous Giggle Doctors visited over 14,500 children in 2023- that is more then 3 times the number of 2022...we couldnt have done this without the generosity of supporters like you.

The long term positive effects of the Giggle Doctor visits can last for months and even years, helping to bring special memories and magical moments for children and their families in challenging times.

"George (as seen in some of the photos here) was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia in 2014 at just 22 months old. George relapsed 2 years into treatment and as a result spent many months in Piam Brown Children's Oncology ward in Southampton Children's Hospital which is where he met the amazing Giggle Doctors.

George absolutely loved their visits and as an avid fancy dress fan, George would always be wearing a costume and the Giggle Doctors would fun, crazy games with him around his character including a police chase through the ward looking for stolen eggs!

The Giggle Doctors brought so many smiles and happy memories to what was a very difficult time and every smile means the world when you are watching you child go through so much illness and pain. Devastatingly for us, we lost George to Leukaemia in 2019, so the fun and happiness the Giggle Doctors brought to George is something we hold very dear in our memories" - George's mum

Thank you

We were so grateful to have your support and as you can see, it makes a huge 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 enquiries@theodora.org

Links:

• Theodora Childrens Charity Impact

By combining music, play, magic and storytelling our 22 Giggle Doctors bring joy and laughter to brave children in challenging times. Giggle Doctors aim to reduce stress and anxiety, increase opportunities for play and improve children’s wellbeing. So far this year, you have helped us bring silliness, fun and magical moments to 1,000 children every month living with serious illness, disability, and serious health challenges. 

A special story from Dr Teapot

'I just wanted to share a beautiful moment Dr Mish Mash and I had. We were visiting a young boy, and he was giggling away when suddenly the mum appeared to get emotional. At the end she said it was the first time they'd heard him laugh. I said, 'Oh recently, this week?' and she said, 'No...ever.'

She explained that he'd had a tracheotomy since birth and they'd never actually heard him laugh, and she was overwhelmed and overjoyed at finally knowing what his giggle sounded like." - Dr Teapot

Thank you to our wonderful supporters who help our Giggle Doctors create magical memories like these for children and their families during challenging times.

Our Impact so far this year

Check out the impact our Giggle Doctors have made so far this year by watching this short video below.

Click here to watch!

A day at Addenbrookes Children’s Hospital

Isabel Squires our Programme and Quality Coordinator shares this wonderful story of her time spent on the wards at Addenbrookes Children's Hospital with Dr Mish Mash and Dr Geehee.

“This is my favourite part of my job, the days when I hop on the train to go and meet the Giggle Doctors at a hospital.

On one ward we visit, all the curtains are closed around the beds when we arrive, which makes the room a little gloomy. Dr Geehee asks a boy his name and introduces him to the child in the bed opposite. And then something magical starts to happen. By the time we leave the curtains are all thrown back, the room flooded with light, and all the children know each other’s names. 

Every person there is smiling, and as I follow Dr Mish Mash’s bright blue shoes out of the room, I hear the chatter across the beds, “Did you see when she had the poo sticker stuck to her chin?”, “They were so silly!” Just for a few minutes children and adults alike are united in a moment of shared playfulness which transports them somewhere new."

Click here to read Isabel's full story and the positive impact the Giggle Doctors had on her journey in the hospital.

Thank you

We were so grateful to have your support, it is thanks to supporters like you that we are able to bring joy and laughter to children in hospital when they need it most. 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. 

"Through the rich imagination and skill of the Giggle Doctors, we have helped children to escape the hospital environment and enter a colourful world filled with humour, music, magic and adventures.” - André Poulie, Founder

Here's to many more moments of fun, play and Giggle Doctor adventures for children in hospital this year!

If you have any questions or would like to find out more, please email enquiries@theodora.org

Links:

• A day at Addenbrookes Children's Hospital
• Our impact so far in 2023