Author Archives: Ellen Blessington

• Meet Michael, our London Marathon runner!

  Why did you choose to run for Theodora Children’s Charity?

  “I love this charity, and have done a few fundraising events over the years. I used to do things for some of the big charities (Macmillan, Cancer Research etc) which whilst being great causes, I wanted to try and support a smaller charity, and that’s when I found Theodora Children’s Charity.” 

  
  “The idea of bringing joy and laughter to children and treating them with giggles sounded such an amazing cause. And also having a close friend who has had to live in hospital for over 15 years due to lupus and regularly hearing how downhearted she can get due to her situation, it was a no brainer for me to begin supporting this wonderful charity.”

  
  “And now being a father myself, the desire to do my small part to bring a little bit of happiness to these children is even stronger.”

  

  What inspired you to take on this challenge? 

  “I’ve run the London Marathon once before back in 2007. And had always wanted to try and challenge myself to do it again one day. I’ve done half marathons, obstacle course races and other challenges since then, but never another marathon.”

  

  “This year I became older than my father was when he passed away when I was 11, which hit me a little and I decided to stop putting it off as you never know what the future holds. As marathon places are incredibly hard to come by, I started looking for charity places, and when I saw that Theodora’s had one available, it seemed like it was just meant to be!” 

  What’s helped to keep you motivated  through training?

  “I’ve had many generous donations so far, and although the training has been tough, particularly the long runs which can be boring and hard to make myself do. I appreciate all the donations that friends and family have contributed so far, and want to make sure I earn each and every penny and not let them down.”

  What are you most looking forward to on the day of the event?

  “Like most, I can’t wait to cross that finish line and enjoy that sense of achievement completing one of the toughest physical challenges most people wouldn’t even attempt. And the post race beer of course!”

  

  From all of us at Theodora Children’s Charity, we want to share our heartfelt thanks to Michael, not just the miles you’ll run, but the dedication, strength, and compassion behind every step. For many years you have helped our Giggle Doctors bring magical moments to children and their families going through challenging times – we couldn’t do it without incredible supporters like you. Wishing you good luck and a finish line moment you’ll never forget, and we’re looking forward to cheering for you on Sunday the 26th of April!

  Support Michael by giving the gift of giggles

  If you would like to support Michael as he takes on 26.2 miles for children in hospital, you can give the gift of giggles today on his fundraising page! Just £15 can help pay for a child to receive a Giggle Doctor visit, bringing joy and laughter when they need it most.

  Donate

  

• Louis and the Giggle Doctors

  In 2025, Louis’s awesome aunties Lucy and Debs walked part of the Camino de Santiago, raising over £3,300 to fund Giggle Doctor visits!

  Here’s the inspirational story behind this amazing effort.

  “It starts with Dr Snug in Lewisham A&E, talking about elephant snot.”

  It’s telling that this is how Louis’s mum Cat chooses to begin the story of his cancer diagnosis and treatment. It’s a story laced with pain, challenge and grief too, but it’s the joy, the play and the living in the moment which comes through most strongly.

  

  After being admitted to hospital, Louis was diagnosed with neuroblastoma – childhood cancer: “He was 3 and a half at this point. We were told from the outset that they throw everything and the kitchen sink at neuroblastoma and they keep nothing in reserve. That means that it is a really brutal first line of treatment: they do a cocktail of ten weeks of chemotherapy, they do radiotherapy, they do surgery, they do stem cell transplant followed by really brutal more chemotherapy, they do immunotherapy and it’s…it’s really brutal.”

  Louis was so young he didn’t always want to take his treatment seriously, but ask anyone who met him how he felt about the Giggle Doctors, and they’ll tell you the same thing: “He took the Giggle Doctors very seriously.”

  

  So seriously that he designed his own Giggle Doctor coat – sketching out designs just like grown up Giggle Doctors do. And he had his own Giggle Doctor name: Dr Star.

  Over the course of Louis’s medical journey, the Giggle Doctors got to know his family well. From that first moment in A&E, to helping Louis with the words when he rang the bell to signal the end of his gruelling 16 months of treatment: “They were there every step of the way.”

  

  You want every childhood cancer story to finish with ringing the end of treatment bell, but sadly that wasn’t the case for Louis.“This is the terrifying day we went in for a scan a year later to find out that he’d relapsed,” Cat says.

  It’s the news no family ever wants to receive, but for Louis that day was also full of the excitement of seeing Dr Yoho and Dr Dotty again.

  

  Medical teams throw everything they’ve got at neuroblastoma, as Cat described. Very sadly, this means when a child does relapse, there are few options left. She recalls the last time they saw the Giggle Doctors at The Royal Marsden: “We knew that Louis really wasn’t very well – it was two and a half months before he died.”

  It was Dr Yoho and Dr Geehee that day. And it’s not an encounter Dr Geehee will forget any time soon:

  

  “I remember seeing him when he was very, very poorly. I played his favourite song, Prince Charming: Don’t you ever stop being handsome, Showing us you’re dandy…

  And he started moving his hands and his body as if he was going to be dancing to the song. He lifted himself up and started doing the actions to the song – it was very moving, it was fantastic – and that’s my lasting memory of him. Even in the last moment he was able to engage with us, it was with absolute joy and play.

  

  I’ll never forget that actually – it drives me when I’m working to think no matter what, you could always give something to the interaction that you’re having with the child. And you can always get something back, even if it’s a raise of a hand or the raise of a finger.”

  It’s so hard not to focus on wishing it was Louis, now a teenager, writing this article, but as his mum Cat so insightfully puts it: “There will always be some lives that are short and it’s really important having charities like Theodora that really focus on how to make those lives better.”

  

  It’s clear to see how the ripple effects of Louis’s vibrant personality are still reverberating through the lives of those who knew him – and also through the lives of many of us who didn’t. The lasting legacy of Dr Star inspires us every day in our mission to improve the lives of children and young people in hospital.

  There’s no one better to sum this up than Louis’s mum, Cat: “When children have those extended periods of hospital stays, they need to be in the moment and they need to – when they’re up to it – enjoy life, and the Giggle Doctors showed how important that was and how possible that was really, to make fun out of any small thing.”

  

  One of the families who knew the wonderful ripple effects of Louis’s vibrant personality were Alex, Zuleika, Fritha and Bethany. From Christmas events filled with craft activities, to creating a brilliant pebble stall, they found creative ways to help Louis’s beloved Giggle Doctors.

  Alex shared in our 2017 Impact Report, “When Louis was first being treated, my daughter was aware from Louis’ mum that the Giggle Doctors cheered him up enormously. Even when he was in A&E and the family didn’t know what was wrong, Louis had already had a visit from a Giggle Doctor at Lewisham Hospital!”

  “My daughter wanted to do something to help Louis and other children like Louis, who end up in hospital lots of time in pain, having to have all sorts of treatments. Louis really inspired us: his experience was something positive out of all the negative.”

  

  
  Zuleika shares, “Our daughters Fritha and Bethany were friends with Louis and his brother Jay, and they were a big part of all the fundraisers too, like creating and running the pebble stalls”, and as you can see below, some beautiful pebbles were created!

  Zuleika and her family will forever remember Louis and what a magnificent little boy he was, full of kindness and fun.

  We are so grateful for their many years of support, and the many Giggle Doctor visits they have made possible for hundreds of children in hospital in loving memory of Louis.

  

• Celebrating 20 years of Giggle Doctors at Sheffield Children’s

  On the 15th of October during Play in Healthcare Week, the Giggle Doctors had the best time celebrating two decades of visits at Sheffield Children’s Hospital and creating lasting memories with families, create vital opportunities for play and to support children’s wellbeing.

  

  Our Programme Team organised arts and crafts for children to enjoy, whilst Dr Flowerpot, Dr Fancy Pants, Dr Nic Nac, Dr Cowpat and Dr Scribble shared their joy and silliness across the wards, singing songs, giving gifts to staff and playing with families throughout the hospital.

  

  Dr Scribble has been visiting Sheffield Children’s Hospital for 2 years, and shares her favourite things about her visits: “Being able to help break the monotony of the day for families helps a lot. These are a few of the interactions that stand out for me as being really great moments, where it isn’t just some play or jokes or fun, it’s like the whole mood of the space is lifted and you can feel it just be great for everyone.”

  

  “It’s a special and magical thing to help create many happy memories for children. It is also such a fun surprise, some families haven’t met us before and we have parents watching in wonder as their children are laughing and playing with us – sometimes it is the first time their child has smiled or laughed in days.”

  “A few times I remember staff like nurses, cleaners, and porters stopping by the door or ward and watching, it’s like everyone gets the ripple effect of the fun too!”

  Here’s to another 20 years of spreading joy and laughter at Sheffield Children’s!

  

  From tears to laughter: Scarlet’s hospital journey

  Scarlet met the Giggle Doctors at Sheffield Children’s Hospital, click below to read her story and how the recognisable, joyful presence of the Giggle Doctors transformed her hospital experience!

  Find out more

  

• From tears to laughter: Scarlet’s hospital journey

  When 14-year-old Scarlet was staying in The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust she met Dr Scribble and Dr Nic Nac for the first time. Her mum, Diane, shared: 

  “Scarlet had been in hospital for three days and it had been a really emotional time. Just 20 minutes before the Giggle Doctors came to see us, we were both in tears and Scarlet was really fed up. I cannot explain how much the Giggle Doctors visit made a difference, we went from sadness to laughter in the space of half an hour! They were amazing with Scarlet and instantly got her sense of humour – they knew exactly what to do to make her smile. I cannot thank them enough for making my daughter smile during a tough time.”

  The children we support often have to travel between their local hospital and larger specialist children’s hospitals for ongoing treatment. Families have shared how comforting it is to see the Giggle Doctors in another hospital and how much it means to spot a familiar face in a medical setting. The recognisable, joyful presence of the Giggle Doctors brings a moment of respite and is a reminder that laughter and play is always close by.

  A few weeks later, Scarlet was at Sheffield Children’s Hospital and was about to go into theatre for a procedure. Not only did she spot the Giggle Doctors, but it was the familiar face of Dr Nic Nac!

  

  

  Children like Scarlet face a barrage of scary new experiences in an unfamiliar place – all while dealing with feeling really poorly. Seeing a Giggle Doctor offers a moment of respite and the chance to connect with someone who sees them just as a child. Giggle Doctors often meet children in the Emergency Department as they begin their healthcare journey. Being transferred to a large specialist children’s hospital can be overwhelming and seeing a familiar, friendly face again can have a powerful impact on a child and their family, helping to normalise the environment and support their mental wellbeing

  Children in hospital are at high risk of experiencing trauma – access to play can contribute to preventing traumatic experiences, or help process and move past them after they’ve occurred.*

  Through the power of play, Giggle Doctors form meaningful bonds with children and young people, bringing comfort, joy, and a sense of normalcy during some of their most challenging moments. For children like Scarlet, they help turn sadness into laughter, easing the stress of hospital stays when it’s needed most.

  
  *Read more about causes of trauma from children’s healthcare in Starlight’s Play in Healthcare Week Report(2025)

• Trainee Giggle Doctor Recruitment

  We’re looking for playful people with a performing arts background who want to use their creativity, imagination and performance skills to bring joyful encounters to children in hospitals and specialist care settings!

  How to Apply

  Please click here to download the Trainee Giggle Doctor Recruitment Pack which contains full details of the role and instructions on how to apply.

  
  Got a question? Send an email or drop in to chat to the Programme Team and a Giggle Doctor on Zoom on Thursday 23rd October any time 7pm – 8pm. Sign up here

  You can apply electronically, by downloading and completing the following forms by email or post:

  • Application Form
  • Essential Information Form
  • Equality and Diversity Monitoring Form

  

  Complete applications should be sent to giggleadmin@theodora.org by 12.00 pm on Monday the 17th of November.

  Postal applications can be sent to: Isabel Squires, Theodora Children’s Charity,
  Office 872, Salisbury House, 29 Finsbury Circus, London, EC2M 5SQ

  Please contact us at the email address above if you have any difficulty accessing or filling out the application documents.

  Apply now!

  Applicants shortlisted for the first phase of recruitment will be invited to an audition workshop on Friday 28th November or Thursday 4th December. Following the workshop, some candidates will be invited to interview on Thursday 4th or Friday 5th of December.

  Applicants invited to the second phase of recruitment will accompany a Senior Giggle Doctor on 2 trial hospital visits in January/February 2026. Following these 2 trial visits, candidates will be notified on whether they will be offered a Trainee Giggle Doctor contract.

  Our Giggle Doctor training

  If you would like to read the story of our latest Trainee Giggle Doctors click here

  Find out more

  

• Empowering children to find their voice again

  Being in hospital can be a very traumatic and stressful experience, especially for a child, resulting in feelings of fear and anxiety, which can often cause children to withdraw into themselves and feel very lonely.

  Whilst we work in giggles, magic, jokes and silliness, our supporters know that the impact the Giggle Doctors have is much more than laughter. Our visits help to empower children and young people, to feel safe in a stressful environment, help children take control of their situation and express their emotions.

  
  Dr Lenton, Paediatric A&E Consultant, recently shared the difference the Giggle Doctors make for families in hospital:

  “Dr Muddy Puddle is an absolute asset to our Department. Paediatric A&E is a stressful, busy department which causes a lot of anxiety to children and families. Dr Muddy Puddle brings joy at a difficult time and helps children feel empowered to have a voice and feel safe in this environment. A fantastic resource – we’re really glad Dr Muddy Puddle comes to visit us.”

  

  
  Isabel, our Programme Manager, recently visited our friends at North Manchester General Hospital and saw Dr Muddy Puddle in action. Isabel got to see how Dr Muddy Puddle helped a young person find their voice again; a visit she will remember for a long time to come.

  “Is she speaking?” one nurse mouths to another – the answer is an eager nod and they both raise their arms in celebration. 
  They tell me in hushed whispers that the young person who we can hear laughing through the open door – while Dr Muddy Puddle talks about living in a tree – has been refusing to speak. To anyone. 

  
  I’m as excited as they are: I’ve heard this story told many times, but this is my first time witnessing it. 

  

  It’s not uncommon for children in hospital to choose not to speak. It’s a stressful, unfamiliar environment, and very likely they are feeling rotten too. But sometimes, a visit from a Giggle Doctor can cut through this and unlock their voice. 

  All Dr Muddy Puddle knew as she approached the room was that this young person was struggling with their mental health and was under one-to-one supervision to keep them safe. The room was in darkness except for a green glow from an emergency exit sign and a little light from the corridor.” 

  As she arrives with an actual nest on her head, all it takes for Dr Muddy Puddle to get a giggle from the doorway is saying “Oh yeah, sorry, I live in a tree.” 

  

   “I like your green spotlight,” she adds, pointing to the glow from the sign. Inside there’s more laughter. “Can I stand in it? I won’t come inside without your consent.” 
  Yes, Dr Muddy Puddle can go inside. There’s a posse of nurses crowding around outside now, carefully keeping out of sight but eager to be nearby for this breakthrough moment. 
  A student nurse tells me: “People see us coming in our uniforms and we look very official and they don’t want to interact. The Giggle Doctors are clearly fun and different and sometimes that’s just what we need.” 

  

  Giggle Doctors are trained to empower every child and young person they meet and I can think of no better example of how delicate a skill this is. It was ten minutes at most, and it won’t make that young person’s problems vanish, but for that brief time, they found their voice again and that seems to me like a very precious gift to give.
  It’s the least visually dramatic encounter I have seen Dr Muddy Puddle have all day – in fact I don’t see it at all, I stay in the corridor with the nurses – but it’s the one I’ll remember for the longest. 

  – Isabel Squires, Programme Manager and Impact Measurement Lead

  If you would like to help Dr Muddy Puddle visit more young people in hospital, donating £15 can help pay for a child to receive a visit, bringing joy and connection when they need it most.

  Donate now

  

• Thank you to the National Lottery Community Fund

  Although it may look like Giggle Doctors are always being silly and fun, it actually takes a lot of hard work and dedicated learning to work in a hospital environment with children, and this is why we’re so grateful to the National Lottery Community Fund for supporting us this year. With their funding, we have been able to train 4 new performing artists to become Giggle Doctors and provide additional training the whole team!

  

  In 2024, we welcomed 4 ‘Trainee Giggle Doctors’ and throughout this year, with the support of the National Lottery Community Fund, they have completed a series of development visits to refine their skills. It’s been successes all round, and by the end of the summer they will all have graduated to ‘Senior Giggle Doctor’ status, meaning they can work independently and confidently to create unique moments of magic with children in hospital.

  

  The generosity of National Lottery Community Fund is helping us not only to expand our work by training new artists, it’s also allowing us to grow the work of our current artists through providing training and development opportunities. Training continues even after our artists become Senior Giggle Doctors and is tailored to meets the current needs of children and families in hospital.

  This year, we organised a training session focused on working with young people with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities (PMLD) – on the wards. As the Giggle Doctors meet children who communicate in various ways, it is crucial that we are able to offer equally enriching and child-centered interactions to all no matter a child’s illness, disability or complex need.

  

  
  Nurturing well-being is important for everyone, but it is especially important that we take care of our Giggle Doctors because working in hospitals can be emotionally challenging. Thanks to the National Lottery Community Fund, this year we were able to develop our well-being programme providing Giggle Doctors with the space to work through the emotional difficulties of working in hospitals. 

  

  The National Lottery Community Fund does amazing work in supporting small charities like us. With recent changes in the UK economy, fundraising has become harder for lots of charities with smaller organisations particularly struggling, and so for us, and thanks to the National Lottery players’ support we can focus more of our efforts on continuously developing the skills of our Giggle Doctors, meaning more children can experience the transformative power of play.

  -Alfie Brine, Giggle Doctor Programme Administrator

  Visit the National Lottery Community Fund to find out more

  Find out more

  

• Tour D’Alliance – cycling from London to Paris!

  From the 13th to 15th of June, eight Alliance Healthcare team members cycled 300 miles from London to Paris to raise £55,000 to bring magical Giggle Doctor moments filled with joy and laughter for children in hospital across England.

  Ellen, our Community and Communications Fundraiser, and Dr Geehee had a brilliant morning cheering on the cyclists as they began their journey from their offices in Chessington.

  

  Their incredible support will support the wellbeing of over 2,400 children, and if we include parents, siblings and members of staff too, their impact will help over 7,000 people in hospital!

  Our Founder André Poulie was delighted to meet them in Paris to cheer them on as they crossed the finish line.

  

  Matt Addison, VP Operations, Alliance Healthcare, said: “This year we took the challenge international, and the sponsorship and support has been incredible. We were determined to raise as much as possible to help young children and their families during the most difficult times. Over £55,000 raised for Theodora Children’s Charity is an amazing amount and I am proud of the team who knew that with every painful pedal, we were doing our bit to help a very worthy cause.”

  Thank you so much to all of the cyclists, sponsors and everyone who organised this fantastic Tour D’Alliance, your support will have such an incredible impact on thousands of children in hospital.

  

• Read our 2024 Impact Report

  In this report we celebrate 30 years of Theodora Children’s Charity, as well as significant anniversaries with some of our hospital partners. The report also touches on a new Giggle Doctor training model and explores the wider impacts of Giggle Doctor visits not only on the children themselves, but also on their families and the staff caring for them in hospital.

  If you are interested in finding out about our Giggle Doctor training, supporting evidence of our work, and the difference our visits make, click below!

  Read now

  

• Deborah talks about our 5 year partnership with Hugh James

  Hugh James Solicitors have supported us for the past five years. We caught up with Deborah Sleightholme, Partner and Head of Strategic Relationships to hear about what our partnership means to them.

  Tell us about Hugh James and how you decide which charities you’d like to support.

  Hugh James is a top full-service national law firm with offices in Cardiff, Manchester, London, Southampton, and Plymouth.

  We have a long history of supporting people who have been seriously injured and bereaved and believe in empowering people at the worst time of their lives and helping them move forward. We see ourselves as very much part of the circle of support, working closely with and alongside the emergency services and medical professionals.

  We recognise that Charities like Theodora Children’s Charity have a vital role to play and can make a huge positive difference to the children and families who, like all our clients, find themselves on a difficult journey they did not choose to embark on.

  It goes without saying that we’re very grateful for your support here at Theodora Children’s Charity – could you tell us what drew you to Theodora Children’s Charity and our Giggle Doctors initially?

  A lawyer based in our London office came across Theodora Children’s Charity and the Giggle Doctors through a family she was working with. When she shared what the charity does with colleagues, there was an overwhelming desire to support its work.

  Anything that can be done to bring a smile to the faces of children undergoing treatment in hospital and make the experience that little bit less scary is always going to tug at the heart strings, especially when you hear André, Theodora’s son talk about why the charity was set up in the first place.

  

  One little boy we met in 2024 called Rory said: “The Giggle Doctors are like real doctors because they made me feel better, but in a different way.” It’s wonderful for us to hear feedback like this about how a Giggle Doctor visit has helped a child feel like themselves again, but what’s it like for you as a supporter to hear about children like Rory?

  Knowing our support has helped bring a smile and make a difference to a child and their family going through something most of us can’t imagine is very humbling and makes you want to do more to help raise awareness of what Theodora Children’s Charity does so even more children can benefit from the programme.

  Hearing feedback from the children who have benefitted from the Giggle Doctor visits makes it all worthwhile!

  

  Is there anything else you’d like to share with us about what it’s like to be a corporate donor?

  There is a fun and feel-good factor to what Theodora Children’s Charity does which is uplifting, whilst recognising the severity of what those who benefit from it services are going through.

  We have held 2 comedy nights now to raise funds for the charity which aligns very well to the cause. Smiles and laughter sit alongside learning more about the important work the charity does. As a corporate donor, we want to be pro-active, and make sure as many people as possible know about Theodora and its Giggle Doctor programme.

  

  Why do you think play in hospital is important?

  For most people, a child spending a long period of time in hospital with a serious illness is unthinkable. The reality is devastating. The child and family need a huge amount of support.

  Sadly, we are acutely aware of all that, as we see it through the work we do at Hugh James.

  Whilst retaining normality is hard, we need to remember that a child is still a child. Play is a huge part of a child’s development so it’s vital to ensure they can still enjoy that time. The Giggle Doctors help facilitate that, interjecting an appropriate level of fun and carefree that is missing from the severity of treatment, and for me, if that helps brighten a child’s day even just a little and helps them forget reality for a short time, it’s well worth it.

  Hugh James Solicitors

  Deborah Sleightholme is a Partner and Head of Strategic Relationships at Hugh James Solicitors who have supported Theodora Children’s Charity for the past 5 years.

  Visit their website