Dr Dovetail and Dr Whoopee put a big smile on Jack's face

As part of the #Fun4All campaign, we are partnering with Fundamentally Children to highlight the ways in which our Giggle Doctors remove some of the barriers that prevent children from accessing the benefits of play. 

Jack’s Story

Jack has complex epilepsy and is unable to talk.

Recently his mum got in touch to tell us about his experience with the Giggle Doctors at Great Ormond Street Hospital.

“Jack has been in and out of hospital since he was four months old, most recently following brain surgery in 2016. Although now 16 he has a mental age of 2 with little understanding of danger. 

He wears a helmet to prevent injuries from falls caused by his frequent seizures. This makes moving around in the hospital environment, with all its equipment, very dangerous for him.  To keep him safe he spends long periods of time restricted to a cot bed or his wheelchair. During a recent admission for complex tests he needed to stay in his cot or immediate area for five days, so he was delighted to see Dr Dovetail and Dr Whoopee as you can see in the photo!

Jack had previously met the Giggle Doctors in several hospitals, Southampton, Brighton, and of course Great Ormond Street. They’d also visited his school, Young Epilepsy. Over the years he has got to know and trust them which is great as he can be nervous around new people, especially in a hospital setting.  It’s incredibly difficult to keep Jack entertained in hospital, particularly as he’d prefer to be outside watching buses, so seeing Dr Dovetail and Dr Whoopee’s familiar and friendly faces was hugely appreciated.

Jack is especially partial to rude noises so was delighted to have a competition with the Giggle Doctors where everyone took turns to make the silliest noises! 

I think his smile shows just how much he enjoyed it, it was just the biggest smile!

To visit the rest of the ward the Giggle Doctors then had to walk past his window and every time he spotted them you could see he was watching them, thinking ‘Me, Me, is it me again?!’

So, I just wanted to pass on my heartfelt appreciation for the Giggle Doctors. They really do make a difference and help brighten up what can be very long and worrying days.

From all of us, thank you”.