Back in 2009, two doctors had a brilliant idea for helping kids understand the illnesses they’d been diagnosed with: put it in the form of a comic book. Dr. Kate Hersov and Dr. Kim Chilman-Blair, both pediatricians in the U.K., came up with Medikidz after realizing that while parents were being given all kinds of information and support, there was no such material geared towards the kids who were actually suffering. And now, after forming partnerships with over 30 healthcare companies and selling their millionth comic, Medikidz will open an office in the United States.
According to Hersov:
It is very frightening for a child to be told they are unwell, especially when there is nothing in their language or at their level to help them understand … The answer was superheroes and comic books. They span different ages and cultures and can work for low literacy levels.
And who are we to argue that superheroes aren’t a sure-fire way to provide very important information?
The Medikidz comics currently have titles focusing on 25 different diseases and conditions — among them are depression, Type 1 Diabetes, HIV, and leukemia — and they are hoping to expand to as many as 300 now that they’ve seen such success. The five superheroes live on Mediland, “a living, moving planet shaped just like the human body.” From the site:
The children are taught about their own body by going on a personal tour through Mediland. Medikidz is designed specifically for young people: therefore we will speak their language, at their level. Think “Marvel meets Medicine” and you have the concept!
In addition to titles on childhood illnesses, other titles focus on diseases faced by parents and help kids understand what their ill parents are going through. In them, medicines and procedures are also explained. They currently have Archbishop Desmond Tutu as a spokesperson and hope to reach children all over the world.
(This Is Money via Bleeding Cool)
