09/16/2026
Awwww
Dr. Leandro Guimarães knew children couldn't avoid being scared of surgery completely. So he decided that, on the way to the operating room, they could be superheroes instead. ❤️
The Brazilian ear, nose and throat specialist has always had a particular passion for caring for children.
During medical school, Leandro worked with a group that used theatre, games and clowning to make hospital stays less frightening for young patients.
Those lessons stayed with him.
In his clinic, Leandro uses toys, puppets and games to examine children without making the experience feel like an examination.
He talks directly to them, gets down to their level and sometimes lets them examine his toy dinosaurs and alligators first.
But there was one part of his job he still struggled with.
One day, Leandro had to carry a little girl into the operating room while she cried desperately for her mother.
He promised himself he never wanted to take another frightened child from their parent's arms like that again.
Then he found an idea.
Leandro bought a collection of superhero costumes and began letting children choose who they wanted to become before surgery.
Batman. Superman. Spider-Man. Wonder Woman.
Instead of being carried towards an operating room frightened and crying, children could put on their cape, take Leandro's hand and “fly” through the hospital with him.
He quickly noticed a difference.
The children were calmer. Their parents were calmer too.
A video showing the tradition went viral, receiving around seven million views, but for Leandro the most meaningful reactions came from his patients.
Some children who later learned they needed another procedure didn't ask whether it would hurt.
They asked whether they'd get to wear a costume again.
And after his videos spread, healthcare workers from across Brazil contacted Leandro to say he'd inspired them to find their own ways of making treatment less frightening for children.
He can't promise his young patients that surgery won't hurt. But he can make sure that when they walk through those hospital doors, they feel a little less like scared children and a little more like superheroes. ❤️