Why I Started Writing Medi-Tales — And Why Children Must Read More

As a medical doctor and storyteller, I’ve learned that children don’t just listen — they absorb. I do medical storytelling which I call “Medi-Tales” series. I believe that reviving the culture of reading among Nigerian children may be one of the best health and cultural interventions of our time.

Since the beginning of time, stories have been our way of making sense of the world. They pass down wisdom, preserve culture, and entertain us through generations. From the jokes we share over dinner to the books that kept us company under candlelight, storytelling is as natural as breathing.

My own story as a storyteller began in 2020, somewhere between patient charts and prescription pads. As a doctor, I saw hundreds of children — newborns to teens, from all walks of life. Most came in sick, were treated, got better, and left smiling. Routine, predictable, unremarkable. Until I met a group of children who changed everything.

These were my patients living with chronic illnesses like sickle cell disease. They didn’t fit the pattern. As they grew older and began to understand the lifelong nature of their condition, some became resistant — skipping medication, refusing clinic visits, and generally rebelling against the routine.

Their parents would sigh, “Doctor, your patient won’t take her medicine again.”

So I began to try something new. I would ask the parents to step outside, sit with the child, and turn the conversation into a story — complete with drawings, pictures, and relatable examples. I explained what was happening in their bodies and why their medicine mattered.

And then the magic happened.

At their next visit, many parents came back saying, “Doctor, it’s working — she now reminds us to give her drugs!” That was the first time I truly saw the power of storytelling in medicine. Children have an incredible capacity to learn, if only we speak their language — and stories are that universal language.
Not long after, I began noticing another pattern outside the clinic: social media was flooded with campaigns about healthy eating and lifestyle choices. Yet, obesity and diet-related illnesses were rising even among children.

If awareness is spreading, I wondered, why aren’t behaviours changing?

Then it clicked — most of the information was designed for adults, not kids. But children are not just spectators in their own lives. When they understand why something matters, they act on it and often remind their parents to do the same.

That was when Medi-Tales was born. It was my attempt to bring medical knowledge to children in the form of stories they can enjoy, relate to, and remember.

Because stories don’t just entertain us; they transform us. They pull us in, help us make sense of complex ideas, and leave traces that facts alone cannot. We remember stories not only with our minds, but with our hearts.

This is not just about my stories. It’s about rekindling the culture of reading for pleasure — a skill that is slowly disappearing among children today.

When children read, they build curiosity, empathy, and imagination.

– Dr. Titilayo Kayode-Alabi, MBChB, FWACPaed