Most doctors bring medicine to cure sick children’s bodies but this one doctor brings toys to heal their souls.
Known as the toy doctor, Norman Brown distributes gifts at the Shriners hospital for the holidays.
Brown wears a special baseball cap he sewed mini cars and other toys to. His lab coat has 25 different patches stitched in the back, each one representing a visit.
2019 marks the Toy Doctor’s 25th year in action.
Brown began his journey back in 1993 after he saw a child at an arcade ready to toss away his broken toy with sadness.
Brown says he picked up the toy and without knowing the boy would be there the next day, he brought it back all fixed.
“I gave it to him in his hand, he played with it for a bit and he called me the Toy Doctor,” Brown said.
The name stuck as the desire to bring the same kind of joy to more children, especially those who can’t go home for the holidays.
WATCH BELOW: Montreal’s Toy Doctor and his daughter talk about 25 years of delivering toys to sick children
“It takes me a whole year, but it’s worth every minute of my time” Brown said about gathering gifts.
“The smiles in the children’s faces and the rewards that I get in seeing how happy they are when I give them the toys. Under the condition that they are, I still get smiles out of them so I figured I am doing something right.”
Brown was joined by two of his daughters.
“I’m very proud. I’m very proud of him and I want you to know that Dad,” Melissa Brown told her father while giving him a big hug.
Next year, the Toy Doctor is planning on going international. He’s aiming to visit the Shriners in Florida.