As a Black mom of two boys, a toddler and a preschooler, and an ER nurse, Emari Etta-Tawo has spent the last eight years caring for patients. During that time, she noticed something missing: accessible health education for children.
Determined to fill that gap, Etta-Tawo came up with an idea in June 2025. By July 2025, she was producing her first episode of the Mini Med School with Nurse Dolly.
“I noticed there was a lot of great content that taught kids about shapes, colors, numbers, and even the planets. But there wasn’t much that taught kids about anatomy, hygiene, nutrition, or the food groups,” she tells BlackDoctor. “I also wanted to help children feel more confident when they enter healthcare settings. When they go to the doctor, I want them to feel informed and confident rather than scared.”
Another gap she noticed was the lack of relatable representation in healthcare-focused children’s content.
“I wanted kids to see someone in healthcare who could educate them and potentially inspire them, while keeping the focus on health, wellness, and self-care,” Etta-Tawo shares.
Although she works primarily with adults, Etta-Tawo sees firsthand how early experiences with healthcare can influence people well into adulthood.
“I primarily work in an adult emergency room, and even in adulthood I hear patients say things like, ‘I didn’t want to come here,’ or ‘I don’t like doctors.’ Those feelings often start in childhood and continue into adulthood,” she explains.
She believes introducing children to healthcare early helps build confidence that lasts a lifetime.
“One of my mottos is, ‘Healthy kids grow into healthy adults.’ Teaching children these things early gives them confidence that can carry into adulthood,” she adds.
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Through each episode, Etta-Tawo helps children understand complex medical topics like anatomy and how their bodies work by incorporating things they already love.
“For example, my first video featured a teddy bear checkup. A lot of kids have teddy bears at home, so I used that to introduce them to medical tools and concepts,” she notes. “In the story, the teddy bear had an infection, so I taught children about why the teddy had a fever and why its heart rate was elevated. Those became opportunities to explain signs of infection in a fun way.”
Another example is her Monster Truck First Aid episode, where children learn basic first-aid concepts through the story of a monster truck involved in an accident.
Etta-Tawo also incorporates songs into the episodes because children naturally connect with music, movement, and rhythm.
“It’s all about finding creative ways to capture their attention while making learning fun and engaging,” she says.
Not only is the program family-friendly, but it also helps parents begin important conversations with their children about health and self-advocacy.
“It’s really about having those conversations with your kids. While you’re watching the show together, use it as an opportunity to talk about health and wellness,” Etta-Tawo says. “Parents can also incorporate things their children already love, just like I do in the videos, to make it easier for them to understand. When children are more comfortable with the topic, they’ll be more likely to speak openly with their parents about it.”
She has seen the impact firsthand in her own home.
“My preschooler is definitely more educated about how his body works. He understands that the kidneys filter your blood and help make urine. Through Nurse Dolly, my children have learned more about their bodies and have become more curious about how everything works,” she shares.
She recalls a recent trip to the ER with her toddler where his confidence surprised even the medical staff.
“When they put on the blood pressure cuff, he recognized it. When the doctor looked in his ear, he said, ‘That’s the otoscope in my ear.’ He was much more familiar and comfortable with the setting. The staff were impressed because they don’t often see a two-year-old so comfortable in that environment. I really believe his understanding and exposure through Mini Med School helped him feel more confident,” she adds.
As a Black mother and nurse, Etta-Tawo recognizes the importance of representation in children’s media.
“When I originally created Mini Med School, my primary goal was addressing the gap in health education. Along the way, parents started telling me how much they appreciated seeing a Black woman creating this type of content,” she says.
That feedback reinforced just how meaningful representation can be.
“It’s meaningful for children who look like me to see Black women represented in healthcare. It’s also motivating because I hope I can inspire the next generation of Black and brown doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals. That’s definitely become one of the driving forces behind what I do,” Etta-Tawo shares.
For parents looking to incorporate health education into everyday conversations, Etta-Tawo recommends focusing on a few foundational topics:
“The main thing I want them to take away is that healthy children grow into healthy adults,” she adds. “When children learn healthy habits at ages two, three, and four, those habits become part of who they are and can stay with them throughout their lives.”
She also wants parents to remember that health education isn’t about perfection.
“As a mom, I know none of us are perfect. It’s about doing the best we can for our children and ourselves most of the time. Small, consistent efforts can go a long way,” Etta-Tawo notes.
Looking ahead, Etta-Tawo is proud of the brand she’s building. Beyond the YouTube series, Mini Med School with Nurse Dolly is evolving into a broader health education platform.
“The next step is publishing my children’s book and launching a new series called Nurse Dolly and Friends, where I’ll introduce children to other healthcare professionals, whether that’s a doctor, pharmacist, paramedic, or someone else in healthcare,” she shares.
Through the brand, she hopes children will see the many possibilities available to them within the healthcare field.
“Beyond that, I see continued growth and expansion. I see toys, hygiene products, healthy snacks, live experiences, meet-and-greets, and so much more. I’m excited about what this can become,” she concludes.
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