Antwerp hospitals launch fantasy characters to help children during stays

The Antwerp hospital group ZAS is introducing a creative initiative to ease the anxiety children may feel during hospital visits. Five distinct fantasy characters, collectively named the WaterWakers, have been launched to guide, comfort, inform, and distract young patients.

These characters, Zori, Oro, Pip, Peppi, and Mimo, represent different needs children might have in a hospital setting, such as guidance, security, companionship, humor, or emotional support. They are integrated into the hospital environment through various mediums, including posters, information screens, wall stickers, and activity books.

Elena Van den Broeck, a patient at ZAS Vincentius, shared her positive reaction to the characters, finding them "very nice, beautiful, and funny." Her father, Jonathan Van den Broeck, emphasized the figures' value in helping children understand hospital procedures and potentially softening difficult news.

"Children often don't know what's happening in a hospital," he explained. "Such a figure can serve as a helpline or a distraction. If there's bad news, the figures can soften it or explain it at a child's level."

The development of the WaterWakers involved collaboration with 100 children, who helped select the designs that inspired the most trust. This child-centric approach underscores ZAS's commitment to making the hospital experience more accessible and less frightening for its youngest patients, starting with a dedicated children's website that prepares them for their visit.

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Ik vind de figuurtjes heel leuk. Ik vind ze mooi en grappig.