An exciting day at the Teddy Hospital for the pupils of Hamburg's Elbschule

30 April 2024, by Deutschlandstipendium

In April, 16 children from the first and second grades of Hamburg's Elbschule had a special opportunity: they were allowed to examine, treat and even vaccinate their cuddly toys in the “Teddy Hospital” at the University Medical Center Eppendorf (UKE). In addition to X-rays and ECGs, the program included a joint doll operation, during which the children learned a lot about the human body and its functions.

Medical student and Germany scholarship holder Moritz Bauknecht is a volunteer at the Teddy Clinic. The aim is to help children overcome their fear of visiting the doctor and teach them about health and illness. The project is financially supported by the Marburger Bund, among others.

At the same time, Lara-Sophie Isernhagen is leading the student research project “TiZNA - Deaf-inclusive Central Emergency Department” at the Institute for German Sign Language and Communication of the Deaf (IDGS). She is studying sign language interpreting and is also supported by the Deutschlandstipendium at UHH. Together with fellow students, she is investigating barriers in everyday hospital life for deaf people. The collaboration between the two initiatives came about in fall 2023 at the Deutschlandstipendium symposium “Committed to our future”. Moritz and Lara-Sophie recognized their shared interests and immediately put their plans into action, giving the children of the Elbschule an unforgettable day. The “Teddy doctors” were actively supported that morning by deaf and hearing sign language interpreters, which underlined the importance of inclusion in medical education.

Text: Lara-Sophie Isernhagen, Deutschlandstipendium recipient