By Katie Vance, Founder & Inventor of Bubble FLO®

Today is Anti-bullying day, and while it might seem like just another awareness day on the calendar, I believe that kindness in healthcare isn't a soft skill or a “nice-to-have”. It is fundamental.

Over the years of developing Bubble FLO® and speaking with countless families, I've witnessed the exhaustion that comes not only from the practical demands of caring for a child with respiratory needs, but from the emotional weight of it all.

These parents are managing medication schedules, physio routines, hospital appointments, and sleepless nights. They're advocating for their children in medical settings while trying to give them as normal a childhood as possible. And through all of this, they're frequently managing their own fear and uncertainty.

When we talk about kindness in healthcare, we must make these families feel seen. Not as caregivers executing a treatment plan, but as human beings doing something really rather difficult, day after day.

Then there's the child themselves.

Imagine being little, feeling unwell, and having your day repeatedly interrupted by medical interventions. Your friends are playing, and you're doing breathing exercises. Again.

Children with chronic conditions display remarkable resilience. However, we shouldn't mistake that resilience for an absence of struggle. They deserve kindness, not pity.

Genuine compassion that acknowledges what they're managing while still treating them as the vibrant children they are.

This is one of the core reasons behind Bubble FLO's design philosophy. Making physiotherapy feel less medical and more playful isn't about trivialising the treatment, it's about showing kindness to children who are already carrying more than most adults could handle.

Kindness in healthcare doesn't always look like grand gestures. Sometimes it's:

• A clinician taking an extra five minutes to really listen to a parent's concerns
• Explaining medical terminology without making someone feel foolish for not understanding
• Remembering a child's name, or that they love dinosaurs
• Acknowledging when a treatment plan isn't working in real life, even if it's sound on paper
• Celebrating small victories alongside families

These moments matter more than we might realise. They're the difference between families feeling supported and feeling alone.

This Anti-bullying day, I'm inviting healthcare professionals to reflect on the role compassion plays in their work.

Let's not forget that at the heart of healthcare are human beings who need more than just medical expertise - they need compassion, understanding, and genuine care.

Remember, kindness costs nothing.