The children from various kindergartens in Bonn wait around patiently with their patients, big and small, to get an appointment. Lisa Gilles fills out every medical history sheet with plenty of patience, asks for name, age and symptoms of the patients. The children are taking this very seriously, of course - as their favourite toys are in pain.

For three days, the inner yard of the hospital was turned into the teddy clinic - with an ambulance, an operating theatre, and different treatment rooms.

Eric is talking calmly to relax his unicorn - it is not supposed to be afraid. Lila and Belli are already being treated. „Dr Ted Andi“, wears a white coat today. His stethoscope is dangling off his neck. The future doctor talks to Lila and her elephant and walks them into a treatment room. Lila says, Belli had an awful throat ache during the night. He won’t eat or walk and he even fell out of bed the night before. Andi Bild listens to the animal’s heart, and Lila is allowed to do the same. Belli is x-rayed afterwards - the diagnosis: a broken trunk. After the surgery, he gets a bandage and a prescription for „pain bears“. After that he needs a few days’ rest.

Eric’s Einhorn will also be operated on, and gets a bandage and pain bears in the pharmacy. He says he has no idea how it could happen that Lydia broke three legs. (Unicorns only have four in total.)

17,000 toys and dolls made their way to the Teddy Clinic so far. The event is(gets) supported by the AOK Rheinland/Hamburg and the promotion circle for children suffering from cancer.

The Teddy clinic is open from 1pm until 4pm today: Last chance!

Original text: Susanne Wächter

Translation: Mareike Graepel