Giggle Doctors are a very special kind of doctor. With humour and imagination, they cheer up not only little patients but also their parents, siblings and the nursing staff. The artistes of the Theodora Foundation do all they can to make children’s eyes light up and bring magical moments to hospital wards, day in, day out.
Helsana has been supporting the valuable work of the Theodora Foundation for nine years now. It’s time for a competition! Enter by the end of September 2024 to be in with a chance of winning a voucher worth CHF 1,000 for a family holiday at a Swiss Family Hotel.
As a partner of the Theodora Foundation, Helsana has been supporting the valuable work performed by the Giggle Doctors since 2016. This commitment helps us ensure that Giggle Doctors can visit more than 100,000 children in hospitals and specialist institutions in all parts of Switzerland each year.
Marc Lottenbach, Head of Marketing, talks about why Helsana supports the Foundation and how Helsana customers can contribute to this commitment (in German).
Visits from the artistes also cheer up the parents of children in hospital. In two short videos, Daniela Corbaz and Sandra Krebser share their experiences of the hospital visits. Both they and their children remember them fondly. “When you see how your child, lying in a hospital bed, suddenly starts to laugh again and looks happy, it warms your heart,” says Daniela Corbaz.
“The Giggle Doctors’ visits also did me good.” Daniela Corbaz’s daughter spent a week at the children’s hospital.
Sandra Krebser is the mother of six-year-old twins. She appreciates the Giggle Doctors’ visits. “They give everyone hope and are important.” Her son has to go to hospital regularly.
They visit children who are sick, in pain or living with a disability. The “doctors”, known as Pönk, Hatschi and Tiramisù, talk about their own personal magic moments working with children. And they explain why their work is not just a job to them, but a vocation.
"The little girl was in pain and frightened, but then she laughed and started moving." Nina Wägli, a.k.a. Dr. Pönk, has been a Giggle Doctor for six years.
"I love improvising and responding to the children’s needs." Rolf Jaisli, a.k.a. Dr. Hatschi, a Giggle Doctor for 21 years.
"It's wonderful when we can use imagination to distract a child from their illness." Claudia Aldini, a.k.a. Dr. Tiramisù, a Giggle Doctor for six years.
We accompanied aspiring Giggle Doctors during their year-long training and found out more about what it takes to do their job.
A sought-after job: the 22 artistes currently undergoing training were selected from 350 applicants.
For the trainees, it’s the fulfilment of a long-cherished dream. Before they can start their new jobs, they undergo a year of intensive preparation. As well as role-play activities, “Dr Lilu”, “Dr Kravat” and their classmates also learn the basics of hospital hygiene, in addition to knowledge of medical conditions and children’s psychological development.
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