The Collaborative Production of “The Hospital of Unhappy Surprises”

Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) is a rare genetic condition that leads to brittle bones and mild to severe bone deformities. People with OI often experience pain, discrimination, fear of breaking bones, and frequent hospitalizations. Because the condition is rare, the experiences of children with OI are not well understood by healthcare providers, who often lack guidelines and knowledge to provide OI care. At the same time, children and families with OI want better educational health resources related to OI. We have created a puppet theatre script called, “The Hospital of Unhappy Surprises” with 18 children with OI from Canada, the United States, and Europe. The play tells the story of their bad hospital experiences and vision for a good hospital. Now, we want to professionally animate the play with artists, OI healthcare providers, and scientists in London, UK, a leader in theatre and OI care and research. The play will become a free online educational resource for children with OI, families, healthcare providers, and healthcare institutions and showcase how we can improve care for children with OI. Most importantly, the project will strengthen partnerships between healthcare, arts, and community organizations, which can lead to new OI innovations down the line.

Faculty Supervisor:

Argerie Tsimicalis

Student:

Partner:

University College London Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Education

University:

McGill University

Program: