Newsletter - Theodora Children's Charity › sites › theodora_uk › files › ... · Pippa's Story In November 2018, we spoke to Hayley about her daughter Pippa’s experience

NewsletterSpring/Summer 2019

Take a look inside to...Find out how your support is making a difference in our impact report

Read Pippa's Giggle Doctor story

Its our 25th Anniversary. Find out where it all began.

Photo Credit: Phil McCarthy

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[email protected] twitter.com/giveagiggle020 7713 0044

Join us from the 29th April to 5th May for Giggle Week. This year, we are

asking you to give us your Giggles! Send us your favourite jokes on twitter or Instagram

Join the Big Fun Run at Heaton Park in Manchester on Sunday 30th June and raise funds for our Giggle Doctor

Big Fun Run

Join in our sponsored danceathon, Wiggle for Giggles this October and

Wiggles

for Giggles

raise money whilst having a great time.

Get Involved

so that we can keep bringing laughter to sick children at a time when they need it most.

For more information, please get in touch with [email protected] or call 020 7713 0044

If you work at, or your children go to a school, club or theatre group that might be interested in taking part, then please get in touch to find out more.

visits. This is a fantastic 5km run that the whole family can take part in. What better way to start your Sunday morning than knowing you are bringing smiles and laughter to poorly children in hospital!

Hello from André Poulie, our Founder

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My dear friends, it is with pleasure that I introduce you to this newsletter which celebrates 25 incredible years of Theodora Children’s Charity. Since our first visit to Great Ormond Street Hospital in 1994, we have visited over half a million children. During this time, we have brought an enormous amount of joy and laughter and created many happy memories. I am so proud of all that we have been able to achieve and I am deeply grateful to you, our supporters, for making this possible.

Our Impact in 2018 Pippa's Story The Story of Théodora

Interview with a Hospital Staff Member

A Look Back at the Last 25 Years

Dr Geehee's Story

Ken's Going Miles for Smiles Looking Forward to the Next 25 Years

Thank You

Help us to Give A Giggle

Contents:

facebook.com/giveagiggle www.theodora.org.ukinstagram.com/giveagiggle

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Our Impact in 2018

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instagram.com/giveagigglefacebook.com/giveagiggle www.theodora.org.uk

Your Giggle Doctor Stories

My favourite moment...

Pippa's StoryIn November 2018, we spoke to Hayley about her daughter Pippa’s experience of the Giggle Doctors and the difference that they have made for her during her time in hospital. This is what she told us:

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“Pippa was diagnosed with Burkitts Leukaemia in September 2017 when she was just seven years old. She was coming to the end of her treatment but unfortunately during her end of treatment tests, they discovered that she had relapsed. That was in July 2018.

Because she had relapsed, she couldn’t have the same sort of chemotherapy that she had been having, so she had to have a stem cell transplant.

Pippa has three sisters and thankfully, her eldest sister was a 100% match and so was the donor. She had the stem cell transplant at the end of October 2018.

Pippa first met the Giggle Doctors at Brighton Hospital when she had just been diagnosed. She has also seen them at Southampton General Hospital and at The Royal Marsden.

I can’t tell you how much she has enjoyed their visits. It’s made a big difference to her time in hospital. Every single Giggle Doctor without fail has made her laugh. They have lifted her spirits 100%.

No matter how rubbish she is feeling, she immediately perks up when she sees the Giggle Doctors, even if they are not in her room. Then obviously when they do come in, it’s just fantastic. The impact that they have on her even if she’s feeling rubbish is amazing. She totally changes. It gives her a buzz. I get in tears of laughter from it too. I think they are brilliant. I could sit for hours with them.


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Being in isolation is very hard for Pippa as she is quite a spirited young kid and she likes to be out there. Being away from home is also difficult. Whilst she is in isolation, the Giggle Doctors can’t come into the room but they can stand at the door and talk with her. This really cheers her up.

One day there was a party for all the children on the ward but because Pippa was in isolation, she couldn’t go to the party. It got to the middle of the afternoon and she’d seen the Giggle Doctors but they hadn’t been in to see her yet so I went and looked for them. I saw Dr Dotty and I asked if she could come and see Pippa. About half an hour later Dr Dotty and Dr Bananas both came in and spent a good 20 minutes with her. Pippa made them have a sing off which was brilliant. She was just full of smiles then. It was lovely. Dr Geehee and Dr Dotty also remember her from when they met her at Brighton too which is nice.

I’ve got no other words apart from they are fantastic. Please keep doing what you’re doing”.

We love receiving feedback like this about the difference our visits have made from the families of chidren our Giggle Doctors have visited.

If you would be happy to share your Giggle Doctor story with us, please get in touch with Amy.

You can either call the office on 020 7713 0044 or email [email protected]


The Story of Théodora7


As we celebrate our 25th Anniversary, we would like to take a moment to remember a very special woman who inspired it all.

“Théodora had an amazing sense of humour. Her spontaneity, her availability and her overwhelming cheerfulness were always associated with her generosity. In its own way, Théodora now has managed to keep this positive energy alive, thus giving us her most beautiful recipe for happiness”. André Poulie

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Theodora Children’s Charity was founded by Jan and André Poulie in 1994, in memory of their mother Théodora Poulie. When André was hospitalised for many months as a child, Théodora brought joy, laughter and storytelling to his bedside through her regular visits. Theodora inspired her sons to bring magical moments to all sick and disabled children. Now our Giggle Doctors give laughter to thousands of children across the country receiving medical treatment.

Théodora and her husband

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Interview with Joyce Stebbings


Although the charity has grown over the years, there is one person who has known our Giggle Doctors from the very beginning. Joyce Stebbings is the Play

When I moved to the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Brighton I got in touch with Theodora Children’s Charity to see if the Giggle Doctors could come to our hospital. We didn’t really have anything at that point in time and I felt that we needed the Giggle Doctors to come and make a difference. When they did start visiting the children, it was amazing!

There is one memory of the Giggle Doctors which has stuck with me over the years. There was a little girl who was in palliative care and had significant special needs. She didn't interact that much with others. Then one day the Giggle Doctor came into her room with his little ukulele and sat down and sang to her and such huge smiles started spreading across her face. It was so magical. It meant so much to the family. The little girl died not long afterwards but that moment would have stayed with the family. They have those photographs and memories to show that even though it was a sad time, it was a happy time.

Now I work at Southampton Children’s Hospital and the impact the Giggle Doctors have is still as significant as it was back in Brighton and at Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital. If I could, I would bottle the laughter because that’s what it is all about – the laughter the Giggle Doctors bring. They are just magical!”

Services Manager at Southampton Children’s Hospital and has worked with our Giggle Doctors at several hospitals throughout her career.

“I first met the Giggle Doctors when I worked at Great Ormond Street Hospital in 1994. They never really came to my ward as it was such a big hospital but I would see them around the hospital making people laugh.

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Dr Geehee's Story


Dr Geehee has been a Giggle Doctor at the Theodora Children’s Charity since January 2001. We recently asked her about her experience of being a Giggle Doctor:

Our work is so important and will always be needed as there will always be sick children and they will always need to be reminded that they can smile and be empowered in that situation.

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“Being a Giggle Doctor is special as your whole focus is on the child. It’s about creating something that reminds them that they are still a child, despite their situation. Young people experiencing joy and creativity in the hospital environment is so important as that can be the thing that they hold onto to get them better. It can really help improve their hospital experience and turn something so hard into a good memory rather than a bad memory.

One of the most important things about being a Giggle Doctor is the little things that we find that help us connect with a child. For children who are in hospital long term, we get to know what they like. We learn more about these children so that the next time we visit them, we can sing them their favourite song, or play their favourite game with them.

It’s not always about getting them belly laughing. Sometimes it’s just about empowering them to take a little control in one aspect of their lives. Even if they say ‘no thank you’ to our visit, that might be for them the first time they have been able to say no whilst in hospital.

It is such a pleasure to be able to bring some fun and laughter to sick children in hospital".

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Going Miles for Smiles


One of our long-term supporters and our charity Ambassador, Rotarian Ken Robertshaw, is planning to cycle US Highway 1 (2,390 miles) this summer. This is to celebrate our 25th Anniversary and raise funds so that we can continue to bring smiles and laughter to children in hospital.

We recently spoke to Ken to find out what inspired him to get involved with the charity and take on this mammoth challenge:

“As an adult who has been in hospital many times during my life, hearing for the first time about the Giggle Doctors and what they do really struck a chord with me. Whilst all the staff do their best to make hospitals as friendly a place as possible, I’ve always found them to be frightening and scary places so I can only imagine what it is like for a child.

As an Ambassador for the charity, I’ve had the privilege of seeing the Giggle Doctors in action at Bradford Royal Infirmary and I was blown away by what they do. Seeing a child going from being withdrawn and not wanting to do anything to being a child again was fabulous.

In 2012 I sledged across the northern Arctic regions of Europe and in 2014, I kayaked the full length of the Mississippi River to raise funds for the Theodora Children’s Charity.

This year I am planning to cycle US Highway 1. It’s something I have always wanted to do. I will be setting off on the 1st July, and aim to do an average of 300 miles a week. I will be stopping to talk at various Rotary Club meetings along the way to drum up support and spread the word about the Giggle Doctors”.

As well as collecting sponsorship and donations from giving talks about our work, Ken also writes books about his adventures and donates the proceeds from the sales of them. We want to say a big thank you to Ken for all his support and wish him luck in his adventure. You can follow Ken's journey on twitter @RobertshawKen.

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[email protected] twitter.com/giveagiggle

We’re very proud of everything we have achieved over the past 25 years, but there is still so much more to do. One in twenty children are treated in hospital every year and we want to make sure we can provide them all with a Giggle Doctor visit.

Here are some ways you can help us fill the next 25 years with even more smiles and laughter for sick and disabled children:

Make a Donation: £10 funds a magical Giggle Doctor visit to one child in hospital, helping to provide smiles and laughter at a difficult time.

Take Part in a Challenge Event: Whether you have a competitive streak or prefer a more gentle pace, we have a range of challenges that you can join. Find out more on our website www.theodora.org.uk,

Set up a Regular Gift: Regular donations make a big difference. They mean you are not just supporting our work now, but you are helping us plan for our future to make our vision of Giggle Doctor visits for all children in hospital possible.

Support us in Your Community: If you are part of a local club or are connected to a school you can support us by holding a fundraising event. It could be a cake sale, a tombola or a summer fair. Every pound raised helps us to provide more Giggle Doctor visits.

Leave a Gift in Your Will: When it comes to writing your will, your family and loved ones will be your priority, but some people may wish to leave a legacy to a cause they are close to. Leaving a gift to the Theodora Children's Charity, however large or small, will help us continue to visit sick and disabled children.

To find out more about how you can support us to provide more giggles for the future please get in touch on 020 7713 0044, email [email protected] or visit www.theodora.org.uk.

The Next 25 Years....

020 7713 0044

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Thank You!

Thank you to all the young actors and actresses at Theatretrain centres across England who Danced for Giggles in November 2018 and raised an absolutely incredible £62,738.92 for our Giggle Doctor programme!

Thank you to our long term corporate partners, Equifax and Encompass, for their continued support in 2019 and to our new corporate supporters, Texel Finance, Happy Threads, My Favourite Voucher Codes and Drugstars, for donating or raising money towards our Giggle Doctor programme!

Thank you to all of our London Winter Walkers who braved the cold to walk 20km for us in January. Between them, they raised a fantastic £3,000.

A really big thank you to Susie Jackson who has donated her time and design skills to create amazing promotional materials for the charity that help to tell our story and the difference our Giggle Doctors make.


And a big thank you to all the students, staff and parents at Ecole Marie d'Orliac School, who raised a fantastic £703.80 for us last term.

Without our wonderful supporters like you, we would not be able to bring fun and laughter to so many children in hospital, hospices and specialist care centres across England.

Thank You!

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Every £10 funds a magical Giggle Doctor visit for one child.

To make a regular or one off donation online by card please visit: www.theodora.org.ukOr to donate by cheque please complete the form below:

Name: ________________________________________________Address: ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________Postcode: _________________ Tel: __________________________Email: ________________________________________________

Thank you for giving us your details. We promise to only use this information to send you communications about our work, campaigning and fundraising activities. We take the protection of your data very seriously and will never share your personal details with organisations outside of the Theodora Children's Charity. You can stop these messages at any time by contacting us on 020 7713 0044. Our full data protection policy is available online at www.theodora.org.uk.

Please make cheques payable to: The Theodora Children's Charity

Please Gift Aid my donation.I confirm I have paid or will pay an amount of Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax for the current tax year that is at least equal to the amount of tax that The Theodora Children’s Charity will reclaim on my gifts for the current tax year. I understand the charity will reclaim 25p of tax on every £1 that I have given.

Please do not send me a thank you letter.

If you no longer wish to receive our latest news, please tick this box.

Give a Giggle: Make a donation

Please post this completed form to: The Theodora Children’s Charity, 40 Pentonville Road, London, N1 9HF

Thank you for your generous donation. If you have a spceial memory of our Giggle Doctors from the last 25 years or would like to leave a message for them, please share it below: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Registered charity no. 1094532www.theodora.org.uk

Documents

Newsletter - Theodora Children's Charity › sites › theodora_uk › files › ... · Pippa's Story In November 2018, we spoke to Hayley about her daughter Pippa’s experience