Susie

This Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, we’re sharing more about how Spread a Smile supports the needs of children with cancer beyond clinical care.

One initiative which is doing just that is our therapy dog work supporting physiotherapy sessions for young oncology patients receiving treatment at the University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH), Proton Beam Therapy (PBT) department.

Physiotherapy plays an important part in the treatment of cancer, helping to manage pain and the physical side effects that come with a diagnosis, including mobility issues and physical weakness.

Medical procedures and treatment plans can be extremely scary for a child or young person, but by introducing therapy dogs, the aim is to help them to relax and find a fun way to engage with physiotherapy goals. Therapy dog Harry, along with owner Tara visit the PBT department at UCLH every other week, supporting the physiotherapy team and oncology patients with physiotherapy goals and activities.

Izzy MacCallum, Team Lead Physiotherapist, Proton Beam Therapy said, “The therapy dogs have been a wonderful addition to our physiotherapy and occupational therapy sessions. The therapy dogs enable us to work with children on their fine motor skills when reaching for treats, their coordination when brushing and stroking the dogs, their balance and confidence mobilising when walking them and their strength when playing fetch and kicking the ball to the dogs. It brings joy not just to the children, but also to their parents and the staff!”

Jennah’s Mum, Rubeka, shared how physio sessions joined by one of our therapy dogs helped her daughter after brain surgery to remove a Medulloblastoma left Jennah with balance and mobility issues in her left arm and leg:

“Over time, with physio, Jennah started to walk with a walker. During therapy dog visits, Jennah was encouraged to use her restricted arm to brush the dog, Buddy’s, fur, and it was so motivating, but in a fun and casual way. Then one day whilst Jennah was playing with Buddy, she just started to run after Buddy, leaving her walker behind and walking independently. It was an incredible moment which I will never forget.”

Spread a Smile’s mission is to be there for as many children and young people like Jennah as possible. Laura Walter, Spread a Smile Director of Services said, “Rehabilitation is an essential part of the treatment pathway for a child or young person diagnosed with cancer and the process can be challenging, particularly for young children. It’s wonderful that the our therapy dogs and their owners are able to support the physiotherapy and occupational therapy sessions for children receiving Proton Beam therapy in a fun and enjoyable way that can make a real positive difference.”

With the 2026 NHS National Cancer Plan for England acknowledging for the first time that children and young people living with cancer have unique needs that extend beyond just clinical care, our work across our 39 NHS partners is even more important than ever.

Spread a Smile is committed to supporting seriously ill children and their families across the country with positivity, fun and laughter, during some of the most difficult times of their life.

Please consider making a donation to ensure we can continue our vital work when it’s needed most.

To stay up to date with all things Spread a Smile and how you can get involved, please sign up to our e-newsletter here.

Our mission is to bring joy and laughter to as many seriously ill children as possible.

We meet the majority of the families we support through our work in 39 NHS hospital partners, often becoming a source of ongoing support for them during their time in hospital. Of these 39 hospitals, 14 are specialist NHS children’s hospitals providing cancer care around the country. As a result of this widespread support, 54% of the children and young people we support are living with cancer. This is perhaps unsurprising, given that cancer is the most common serious illness affecting children in the UK.

We also support children receiving cancer treatment at both of the UK’s NHS Proton Beam Therapy Centres – The Christie in Manchester and University College London Hospital (UCLH), helping to bring moments of joy and distraction during what can be an incredibly difficult time for children and their families.

High energy proton beam therapy is a specialised form of radiotherapy used to treat a wide range of cancers, targeting tumours precisely and minimising damage to surrounding healthy tissues. The process often involves weeks of treatment and our services, both in person and virtual, provide children and young people receiving the treatment with the chance to smile, have fun, connect and simply be a child again.

This could be through our in-person visits, whereby our entertainers, from musicians to magicians, therapy dogs, artists and poets, use their talents to help distract and engage with children receiving treatment in hospital. Or through our range of family events which include afternoon teas and trips to the theatre or cinema and welcome seriously ill children along with their whole family to enjoy a special, free day out together (where they are all thoroughly spoilt!)

Spread a Smile is also the main provider of bespoke, hand-painted radiotherapy masks across our NHS hospital partners. As part of our art programme, we support hundreds of children and teenagers going through radiotherapy every year for head, brain or neck cancers by personalising their radiotherapy masks.

The masks (or moulds) are necessary so the treatment can be delivered as precisely as possible, requiring the child to be strapped to the table or to undergo general anaesthetic. It can be an incredibly frightening experience.

Our team of artists, led by our Head of Art, Marina, work closely with young patients to find out their interests and how they would like their masks decorated. Sometimes a patient draws their own sketch and then Marina will take the ideas and create a bespoke and individual decoration for the mask.

The process helps to make the mask less frightening, and experience shows that the patient often becomes very proud of their mask, as Freddie’s Mum Charmaine told us, “As a Mum it was traumatic watching Freddie have the mask put on as it is so big, and they have to clip it into place around the bed. But seeing it looking so special and personalised made things a little easier. 

“He didn’t mind wearing his mask once it was painted and enjoyed talking with other children about what they had on their masks. He was so proud to show it to people. We now have it home and it is a prized possession on his desk which he proudly shows to everyone who comes in. His mask was his protection, and he was proud of what he had been through.”

With the 2026 NHS National Cancer Plan for England acknowledging for the first time that children and young people living with cancer have unique needs that extend beyond just clinical care, our work is even more important than ever.

Alongside treatment and recovery, the Plan highlights the importance of emotional wellbeing, positive hospital experiences and holistic support for children and families. And that’s where Spread a Smile comes in. We are committed to being there for seriously ill children across the country with smiles, fun and laughter, during some of the most difficult times of their life.

To stay up to date with our work and how you can get involved, please sign up to our e-newsletter here.

Or why not make a donation to ensure we can continue to bring joy and laughter to seriously ill children when it’s needed most.

For International Day of Friendship (30 July), we spoke to Jen, Mum to Bay and Uday, Dad to Aditi about how their daughters met in hospital and how Spread a Smile has helped to provide space for their friendship to flourish.

“Bay and Aditi met at Great Ormond Street Hospital when Bay was four years old and Aditi was six.” Jen shared. “Bay was already on dialysis, and Aditi had just started dialysis and their shared outlook of fun, incredible resilience and positivity gave them an instant connection and a special bond formed. 

“They’ve both had their fair share of hospital stays and live on opposite sides of London so most meet ups and play dates happened in hospital. These often became more comfort and support dates during their treatment. Bay would go and sing at Aditi’s door and Aditi would come to the chemo ward to join Bays singing concerts.

“During this time, Spread a Smile did what it does best and not only recognised this growing connection, but went out of their way to ensure the girls were invited to the same events at the same time – something that would’ve been difficult for us as parents to achieve on our own.  

“Spread a Smile gives us a space to come together – a carefree relaxed and inclusive environment that enables Bay and Aditi to feel confident and empowered to just be themselves and have fun together. And that’s a wonderful thing and something we will forever be grateful for.” 

Every year, Spread a Smile supports hundreds of seriously ill children like Bay and Aditi, providing opportunities to find fun and connection – with our entertainers and each other. Uday, Aditi’s Dad added “Aditi and Bay’s bond is more than that of two kids sharing a common journey. They see themselves as twins and can’t wait to catch up and chat – about taking their meds, their favourite foods, toys or Disney Princesses. They would look out for each other in hospital, brightening each other’s days, checking in on video calls and sharing little gifts.

“And then at every Spread a Smile party they can meet and catch up outside of hospital, having the best of times immersed together in bubbles, sing songs and activities. They get lost in their own little world.

“Spread a Smile has helped unite them at so many special events from afternoon teas, to art days and parties. Every time we see the sparkle in Aditi’s eyes as she looks forward to the reunions and fun moments with Bay.  

“During hospital times and beyond, Aditi and Bay have remained together thanks to Spread a Smile. They have found a friendship filled with so much joy and happiness. Our families have connected in a very special way – all thanks to Spread a Smile for bringing us together from East and West London to share a special bond filled with love, care and happiness.”

Spread a Smile relies completely on the generosity of donors, partners and sponsors to continue to provide it’s vital services. To find out how you or your company can help support our entertainer visits to children in hospital, family events and art initiatives, please click here.