|
In April 1994, the Theodora Foundation introduced two clown doctors to Great Ormond Street Hospital, where they visited two days a week. By 1995 they had worked with more than 4,000 children and in 1996 the UK charity; Theodora Children's Trust was set up to further expand their work. This programme was the first of its kind to be introduced to the UK. As the Trust developed a full-scale training programme with King's College London, more and more hospitals allowed us to work within their walls.
Now, with a team of 12 trained Theodora clown doctors, we are visiting more than 26,000 children and their families every year. Born out of the Swiss Fondation Theodora, the charity was founded by Andre and Jan Poulie in memory of their mother, Theodora.
“The story of Theodora Children’s Trust is closely tied to that of Jan and Theodora Poulie, our parents. When we were small and surrounded by their affection, my brother Jan and I could have never imagined that one day, in their memory, our lives would be dedicated to bringing moments of joy to children in hospital. Who could have foreseen that one day in September 1975 a very serious accident would change my life forever.
Painful narcoses, operations, the struggle to regain my mobility; such was my daily life. Neither my brother, nor my friends could visit me. There were no other distractions for my hospitalised friends and myself other than those which we invented. Fortunately, my mother, Théodora came each day to visit me for 4 hours, the maximum time allowed. How this time use to fly…
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 strength, thus giving us her more beautiful recipe for happiness. “
|
