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How it all started…
The Théodora Foundation was established in 1993 on the initiative of brothers André and Jan Poulie, who named the foundation in memory of their mother Théodora.
During his childhood, André Poulie spent several months hospitalized due to an accident. The regular visits from his mother Théodora and the joy it brought him gave the two brothers the idea, many years later, to bring laughter and relief to the daily lives of hospitalized children or those in specialized institutions.
Photo: André Poulie, aged 11 at the time of his hospitalization, and his mother Théodora.
Jan (on the right) and André Poulie (on the left) commenced the activities of the Theodora Foundation with 2 Giggle Doctors in April 1993, working for the pediatrics department of the University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), Switzerland, with the precious help of Doctor Daniel Beck, head of the pediatric oncology service.
After the promising start of this project, the Foundation Theodora was established in 1993 in order to offer this approach throughout Switzerland and in December 1993, the Foundation Theodora was acknowledged by a decree from the Swiss authorities as an organization for public service. Since 1993, the Foundation Theodora has expanded in many countries such as England, France, Hong Kong, Italy, Spain, Turkey and Belarus and is active every week in 130 hospitals around the World.
The Foundation Theodora began its mission in Hong Kong in July 1996 and the 1st visit happened at the Queen Mary Hospital with its first Giggle Doctor, Dr Waiwai. In 2024, The Foundation Theodora is active in 6 hospitals in Hong Kong and provides Giggle Doctors visits for an average of 10,000 children per year.
