In Divinópolis, Brazil, children going into surgery do not feel like patients. Thanks to Dr. Leandro Brandão, they become Batman, Wonder Woman or Spider-Man. A simple idea that completely changes their attitude before surgery.
The Brazilian doctor won the international award for action for integration, diversity and innovation in health care. Leandro Brandão Guimarães was successful in dressing children in superhero costumes to help them overcome their fear of surgery. This laryngologist didn't even think he'd be among the finalists of the competition. See for yourselves!
How did this idea come about?
Dr. Leandro Brandão, a children's otorhinolaryngologist, saw the small patients fear the hospital every day. The way to the O.R. was associated with pain and unknown. He decided to change that.
Instead of a standard wheelchair and hospital shirt, he offered children costumes of his favorite superheroes. The little ones wear capes, masks and feel stronger. The doctor often carries them down the corridor on his hands, as if they were on a rescue mission.
What gives you to dress up before surgery?
It's not a one-time trick. The dressing became a constant part of preparation for the procedure in its practice.
A Success That Went Into the World
Dr. Brandão's story virralized in 2023 when movies with children-superheroes ran around the Internet. People all over the world wrote how moved they were by this empathy. In 2025, the doctor received an international distinction in Italy for the humanization of medical care.
Children do not think in medical categories – they think in imagination. The superhero costume allows them to enter the role of a brave hero instead of a helpless victim. It's like a magic shield against fear. At a time when medicine focuses mainly on technology and procedures, Dr. Brandão recalls that sometimes the most effective remedy is simply kindness and understanding of the emotions of the child.
