At Theodora Children’s Charity we believe all sick and disabled children deserve laughter. Every year our Giggle Doctors see over 33,000 children across twenty hospitals, three hospices and two specialist care centres. The hospices that the Giggle Doctors visit offer respite to children and their families at often very challenging times. Our programme provides additional opportunities for children to interact, play, and engage in fun activities.

Dr Dotty is just one of our 25 Giggle Doctors, and visits the children at Demelza Hospice regularly:

“As a Giggle Doctor I meet so many wonderful children and their families, who unfortunately find themselves in a not-so-wonderful situation. Many children I meet are can be extremely poorly. As a Giggle Doctor, I get to be part of something much more positive for these children- joy, hope and laughter! Through play and imagination we can create memories, distractions, and the chance for the children to be whoever they want to be in that moment.”

When children are in hospices they often don’t see friends, classmates or family as frequently. As such they often lose opportunities for play they would otherwise have. That’s where the Giggle Doctors come in! Their visits help to reduce stress and anxiety, increase opportunities for play and improve wellbeing.

It is not always about laughter, sometimes the focus of a visit might be on music, magic or storytelling. The Giggle Doctors are specially trained to work in many different ways and tailor their visit to the individual child. They ensure that play, and all the benefits that come from it, are accessible to children no matter how unwell they are.

Hospice staff often tell us what a difference the visits make:

“We love having the Giggle Doctors at Richard House! It is great to hear the children laughing and having a brilliant time playing with the Giggle Doctor.” Activity Coordinator, Richard House Hospice

We are extremely grateful to the Barbara Ward Children’s Foundation for their generous support of our hospice programme.

You can find out more about the Giggle Doctors and the Theodora Children’s Charity at www.theodora.org.uk