Sponsored: Oneplan’s Murphy making smiles at Joburg Gen

Published Jun 15, 2016

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It has been proven that visiting someone in hospital has a positive effect on his or her health. Recent research has shown that your visit can affect the patient's brain in a significant way. We all know that emotions have an important effect on a patient's health and positive emotions have been shown to decrease a person's struggle with illness. 

Scientists have found that the reason for this is due to a group of brain cells known as mirror neurons. These brain cells are activated when we experience an emotion, and they are 'switched on' when we watch others experience feelings we can identify with, leading us to imitate these happy spirits and become infected by the mood.

Dr Matthew Ratcliffe, senior lecturer in philosophy at Durham University, says that 'by being with someone who has a smiling face — such as a hospital visitor — mirror neurons motivate a similar response in our own brain, leading us to make a similar gesture and even directing us towards a similar emotional reaction'.

Knowing how important putting a smile on a struggling patient's face is, and how it can really change someone's mood when they're feeling so sick, Oneplan Health Insurance went about creating a costume for their mascot, Murphy. Murphy made his first trip to Johannesburg General Hospital's paediatric wards on Thursday, 19 May, to put big smiles on the faces of South Africa's youth. With crayons and colouring-in pages in hand, Murphy visited the Paediatric Medical Ward, Paediatric Surgical Ward and Paediatric Orthopaedics Ward. 

The smiles and laughter were infectious as Murphy bumped his head, tripped and high-fived the little humans recovering in their hospital beds. Colouring in vigorously, each child wanted to draw their best version of Murphy while his antics kept the spirits up in the otherwise quiet halls and rooms. 

Parents glowed as they watched their children enjoy the entertainment at their bedside, and some children even danced with Murphy as the kids in the room next door watched in anticipation, waiting for Murphy to make an appearance at their bedside next. 

Murphy will be making his hospitals visits once a month, and hopes to pop in to some orphanages and shelters, too. Follow Oneplan Health Insurance on Facebook to see what Murphy will be up to next, and view the photos from his recent visit to the Joburg Gen.

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