Who you gonna call? Ferrara’s Ghostbusters are heading to paediatrics with smiles in mind

Who are you going to call as Halloween approaches? In Ferrara, the answer comes with an unmistakable uniform and a proton pack. On Friday 30 October, Ghostbusters Italy APS returned to Cona Hospital for the ninth edition of a special mission: giving children a moment of play and company.

Volunteers from Associazione Giulia ODV joined them. Sant’Anna Hospital’s report, published on 30 October, confirms that the visit took place in the paediatric wards, with encounters, surprises and small gifts.

The team is heading to Sant’Anna

The visit involved Paediatrics, Paediatric Surgery and Paediatric Oncohaematology at Ferrara’s Sant’Anna Hospital in Cona. Volunteers brought uniforms and equipment inspired by the films, alongside sweets and small gifts.

The official report acknowledges private donors and corporate partners, including Playmobil Italy. Young patients became the symbolic stars of the Ghostbusters adventure.

Fans recognise this fictional world immediately. Here, that familiarity becomes a way of meeting children through a shared language of play, during a visit organised around them.

A project built through repeated visits

The event belongs to “Scacciare Fantasmi, Scacciare il Male”, the project through which Ghostbusters Italy has organised paediatric hospital visits since 2016, working with healthcare facilities and associations. The Ferrara visit was its ninth edition, following the interruption caused by the pandemic.

The project’s official presentation highlights play as an opportunity for comfort, inclusion and connection. A love of cinema takes practical form when people organise their time to be present and share something they know how to do.

The video embedded on this page introduces the project. It does not document the visit of 30 October 2026. The photograph is also an archive image and does not show the volunteers or children at Cona Hospital; the event itself is documented by Sant’Anna Hospital’s official report.

Families are part of the story

Associazione Giulia ODV supports young cancer patients and their families in the Ferrara area. Its website explains that fundraising helps provide professional resources along the care journey, including psycho-oncology and paediatric oncology expertise.

The collaboration helps us see the work surrounding an appealing event. There are local organisations, relationships developed over time and people familiar with the setting they enter. The festive moment belongs within that continuing presence.

The official report does not describe individual reactions or quote conversations. It does confirm the visit’s purpose: offering children and families a moment of lightness during days affected by illness.

A passion can find a place in helping others

Perhaps you have an interest you think of simply as a hobby: films, books, drawing or music. This initiative raises a question worth considering. Could you share it with someone who might enjoy it?

Answering takes listening and organisation. When an association works with children or vulnerable people, enthusiasm is a starting point. Practical needs, any required training and the guidance of activity coordinators come next. Volunteering also grows through a willingness to learn.

There is something encouraging about beginning with an interest you already have. Together with an organisation, you can discover whether and how it might become a useful contribution.

You may find that what is needed differs from what you first imagined. Asking before making plans gives the people already doing the work a chance to explain their priorities.

Want to help? Start with official contacts

To learn about “Scacciare Fantasmi, Scacciare il Male”, follow the project link in our sources. To support Associazione Giulia, visit its own website, which describes its activities and official ways to contribute.

For volunteering closer to home, contact associations connected with your local hospital or their coordinators. They can explain the availability they need, the routes they offer and the activities that are possible.

Even an initial enquiry can turn a good intention into something practical. It can also help you decide what you can offer consistently, in a way that fits the organisation’s work.

A visit that speaks to the heart

In Matthew’s Gospel, chapter 25, visiting a sick person appears within the account of encountering Christ. For believers, this story may recall that way of seeing others: noticing someone, giving time and drawing near.

We look back on these Ghostbusters with affection. Their mission had an aim anyone can understand: creating room for play within a difficult day. A smile cannot tell us everything about a life, but it can become a moment shared. That moment deserves our attention.