Above: Claire Nicholson hugs her Mark and Ollie dollies.
September 21, 2026
In paediatric health care, treating a child's illness is only one part of the equation. Equally important is caring for the whole child: supporting their emotional health, nurturing their sense of identity, and creating moments of comfort and joy amid uncertainty. Across Children's Hospital at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC), countless staff members contribute to this work every day, often through simple acts of kindness that leave a lasting impression on patients and families.
Two of those team members are Mark Browning, Aide in the Paediatric Medical Day Unit (PMDU), and Ollie, Children's Hospital’s very own therapeutic clown made possible through Children's Health Foundation. Both Mark and Ollie play an integral role in bringing joy to children spending time in hospital, whether it be for a routine appointment or longer inpatient stays.
One patient who has formed a particularly special bond with Mark and Ollie is Claire Nicholson. Claire, now seven, was diagnosed with leukemia just before her first birthday. In those early days, when almost every new face was overwhelming, Mark became one of the first people Claire allowed into her world. At a time when much of her life was filled with medical appointments and unfamiliar environments, Mark offered something different. He was not there to poke, prod, or examine. He was there to play, to laugh, and to connect.
Ollie became part of Claire's journey later on. Over time, both Mark and Ollie became familiar, trusted people in Claire's life. Through long hospital stays, outpatient appointments, and two relapses, Children's Hospital at LHSC became a second home for Claire and her family. Mark and Ollie became part of the family they built there.
"Any time we go to the hospital, Mark and Ollie are the first people Claire looks for," says Claire's Mom, Mandy Nicholson. "It has been incredible to watch their relationship grow as she has grown and to have those moments of joy, not only for Claire, but for me too."
For Nicholson, that joy made an immeasurable difference. During some of their darkest and most frightening moments, Mark and Ollie had a way of shifting the energy in the room.
"I can't imagine going through everything without them," says Nicholson. "They brought so much light to us during such a dark time. Without these interactions, there would have been so much more fear and so many more tears."
Mark and Ollie connected with Claire by remembering the pieces of her personality that make her who she is. They joined in on her humour, her games, and her imagination. To someone outside the room, those moments may have seemed small, but to Claire and her family, they were unforgettable. That understanding helped Mark and Ollie occupy a special place in Claire's care journey. They were part of the hospital, but they were not associated with the parts that scared her. Claire knew they were not coming to do a procedure; they were coming as friends.
Some of the family's most treasured memories reflect that friendship. When Claire had to travel to Toronto for care, Ollie made special 'Mark and Ollie dollies' for her to take along. Years later, she still has them.
"I started making the dolls because children would often ask if I could come with them when they had to receive treatment elsewhere or even one time when a child wanted me to go with them to Florida," says Ollie. "While I can't physically go, I wanted them to be able to take a piece of that connection with them. I made dolls of both myself and Mark for Claire so she could take us with her to Toronto."
For Nicholson, those dolls are a reminder that Mark and Ollie's impact extended beyond the hospital walls. Even when Claire's care journey took her away from the people and places that had become so familiar, Mark and Ollie were always with her.
The connection they have built has endured as Claire has grown. As appointments have become fewer and farther between, the family still looks forward to seeing Mark and Ollie when they visit. Nicholson says there are many people who made a difference during Claire's journey, but some relationships naturally fade over time. Mark and Ollie, however, have remained constant.
One moment in particular stays with Nicholson. When Claire relapsed for the first time and the family returned to the B6 Inpatient Paediatric floor, Mark was there when they arrived.
"He was standing in our doorway, ready to support us through the next phase," says Nicholson.
It is a moment that captures what Mark and Ollie came to represent for Claire and her family. They could not take away the fear or uncertainty of what Claire was facing. But they could stand beside her in it. They could bring laughter to the room and spread the joy Claire's family craved. They could help create moments that felt like childhood, even in the middle of treatment.
Looking back, Nicholson says that joy is what she remembers most about Claire's cancer journey. Not only the difficult days or the medical milestones, but the people who helped make those days easier to bear; people like Mark and Ollie.