Giving children a smile
Statistics show that one in every five children has a mental health problem, and treatments for anxiety, stress, and sleep problems have increased by 91% during the COVID-19 epidemic. The persistent cost of living issue exacerbates the existing scenario, having a substantial influence on children's lives.
The Giggle Doctor staff at Theodora Children's Charity is exceptional and specialised. These individuals, who include skilled artists such as actors, magicians, and storytellers, begin working with children after completing a two-year specialised training programme. They concentrate on children who have mental health concerns, chronic diseases, or physical disabilities that necessitate hospitalisation. Through engaging interactions, the Giggle Doctors enable young children to take charge and make their own decisions. Children are transported into a whimsical environment where they experience delight, diversion, and good connections with their hospital visits. These Giggle Doctor therapies improve the children's well-being and have a positive influence on their mental health.
Local circumstances
A hospital stay is often difficult to handle for children: something serious is going on in unfamiliar surroundings. In addition, they have reduced contact to their family and friends. Thanks to the cheerful, varied and playful entertainment provided by the “dream doctors”, the young patients can escape the hospital routine for a while and dive into an imaginative world of make-believe. Since the start of the pandemic, only a limited number of in-person visits have been possible, but the performers tried to make up for this by producing live videos and arranging outdoor events outside the hospital.