{"id":838667,"date":"2026-08-01T22:58:12","date_gmt":"2026-08-01T22:58:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/838667\/"},"modified":"2026-08-01T22:58:12","modified_gmt":"2026-08-01T22:58:12","slug":"medical-student-george-mann-visits-sick-children-as-dr-spider-man","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/838667\/","title":{"rendered":"Medical student George Mann visits sick children as Dr. Spider-Man"},"content":{"rendered":"

Exclusive: Growing up, George Mann was told that superheroes were his cousins. There was Spider-Man<\/a>, Batman<\/a>, Superman<\/a>, and George Mann. So, he always assumed that one day, he would be a superhero too. <\/p>\n

He\u2019s been collecting comics since the third grade, and recalls watching one of the Sam Raimi Spider-Man movies<\/a> nearly every day as a kid. Fast-forward to now and at 20 years old, Mann has made the most unlikely of dreams come true. <\/p>\n

\"George<\/p>\n

As a medical student with limited free time, George Mann has decided to dedicate what he can to helping brighten the days of sick kids. \u00a0George Mann<\/p>\n

As a third-year medical student based in Queensland, Mann leads a not-so-secret double life. <\/p>\n

Monday to Friday, he\u2019s at university studying to be a paediatric surgeon. Outside of that, well, he\u2019s Dr. Spider-Man<\/a>. <\/p>\n

It all started when he saw a Spider-Man mask advertised for sale on social media. With a little bit of begging, his sister eventually agreed to buy it for him as a Christmas gift. Then he had an idea. <\/p>\n

His plan was simple: wear a white coat over his Spider-Man<\/a> suit and visit kids in the hospital to help brighten their day. <\/p>\n

He initially thought he would wait until he started placement, but when he found himself with some spare time at the start of the year, he decided to jump in. <\/p>\n

\u201cI rang up my local hospital in Mackay. I did that nearly every day for about two weeks until they said yes,\u201d he recalls. <\/p>\n

His goal is to bring a little bit of laughter and hope to kids and their families going through a tough time, explaining that it\u2019s an important part of the treatment process. <\/p>\n

\u201cMedicine is a very multifactorial process. And if you can just try and have that positive mindset towards medicine, that\u2019s going to make you feel a lot better, even if it\u2019s just through a bit of placebo,\u201d Mann tells nine.com.au. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt helps the kids but also the families, too. Because when a child\u2019s suffering in a family, it\u2019s not just the child that suffers; it\u2019s everyone. <\/p>\n

\"George<\/p>\n

Hi visits children\u2019s hospitals as Dr. Spider-Man, often bringing gifts of toys, books and sometimes even video game consoles. \u00a0George Mann<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I can try and put a smile on the kid\u2019s face for even 10 minutes, I notice that takes a lot of pressure off the family and makes them a lot happier, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

He\u2019s been visiting hospitals as Dr. Spider-Man for about six months now, and in that time he\u2019s noticed how much more open the kids are with the character than they are with doctors or nurses. <\/p>\n

He says his goal is not only to try and put a smile on everyone\u2019s face, but also to help ease the intimidation of being in a hospital so that the kids he interacts with grow up with a positive relationship to healthcare. <\/p>\n

\u201cA hospital can just be a very, very scary place. And the last thing I want is for them to then grow up and have a fear of medicine and receiving healthcare treatment … stuff like that carrying on throughout their lives can be really detrimental to their health,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n

\u201cSo, that\u2019s my goal: to try and go in there, try and distract them from what they\u2019re going through, so they can start to build a positive relationship with healthcare at a young age.\u201d<\/p>\n

Much like Peter Parker himself, Mann is balancing a double life. He\u2019s at university from eight to five every weekday, working at Bunnings on the weekends, managing a growing social media career, and being Dr. Spider-Man. <\/p>\n

\"George<\/p>\n

While he knows life is just going to get busier, he hopes that Dr. Spider-Man becomes a permanent part of his career. \u00a0George Mann<\/p>\n

Currently, he\u2019s only three years into his six-year degree. With hopes to soon grow his Dr. Spider-Man social media presence, Mann plans to make time for Dr. Spider-Man for the rest of his degree and hopefully into his professional career. <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m hoping that it can stay with me for the rest of my life,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe \u201cDoctor\u201d part of the name is also part of the costume, so I\u2019d love to, when I graduate, be officially a Dr Spider-Man. I\u2019d love to just continue trying to do this for the rest of my life.\u201d<\/p>\n