In Divinópolis, Brazil children They don't feel like patients going to surgery. Thanks to Dr. Leandro Brandão, they become Batman, Wonder Woman or Spider-Man. A simple idea that completely changes their attitude before surgery.
Brazylijski doctor zdobył międzynarodową nagrodę za działania na rzecz integracji, różnorodności i innowacji w służbie zdrowia. Leandro Brandão Guimarães odniósł sukces, przebierając 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.
Zamiast standardowego wózka i szpitalnej koszuli, zaproponował dzieciom kostiumy ulubionych superbohaterów. Maluchy zakładają peleryny, maski i czują się silniejsze. Doctor często niesie je na rękach korytarzem, jakby leciały na misję ratunkową.
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
History Dr. Brandão virralized in 2023 as films with children-superheroes ran around 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 helpless victims. 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 child's emotions.
