Hospital clowning with Dr. Fun E. Bone
"Laughter is darn good medicine!"
Tuesday, August 12, 2014 was the first day of my new gig as volunteer clown doctor on rounds, Dr. Fun E. Bone, at Salem Hospital.
The day certainly began with a heightened sense of melancholy the day after the untimely death of comic genius, loving hearted Robin Williams. The first nurse to see me teared up, hugged me, and thanked me. How could my day NOT go well after that?!
And it did!! Dr. Fun E. Bone was especially well received in the emergency room.
Why do this? The mission and goal of the hospital clown or clown doctor is to support the healing process and help patients deal with the stress of hospitalization by providing humor and laughter-filled distractions from the feelings of fear, helplessness, and sadness. Visiting family members, hospital support staff, and the medical staff benefit, too, by the clown doctor bringing some lightness to the hospital environment.
Dr. Fun E. Bone does clown doctor rounds weekly.
Here are some links to useful hospital clowning programs, resources, research, and studies.
May the spirit of joy, hope, laughter, grace, and healing find us all, especially in our times of need.
The day certainly began with a heightened sense of melancholy the day after the untimely death of comic genius, loving hearted Robin Williams. The first nurse to see me teared up, hugged me, and thanked me. How could my day NOT go well after that?!
And it did!! Dr. Fun E. Bone was especially well received in the emergency room.
Why do this? The mission and goal of the hospital clown or clown doctor is to support the healing process and help patients deal with the stress of hospitalization by providing humor and laughter-filled distractions from the feelings of fear, helplessness, and sadness. Visiting family members, hospital support staff, and the medical staff benefit, too, by the clown doctor bringing some lightness to the hospital environment.
Dr. Fun E. Bone does clown doctor rounds weekly.
Here are some links to useful hospital clowning programs, resources, research, and studies.
May the spirit of joy, hope, laughter, grace, and healing find us all, especially in our times of need.
"The role of a clown and a physician are the same -- it's to elevate the possible and to relieve suffering."
-- Patch Adams
"To truly laugh, you must be able to take your pain, and play with it!"
– Charlie Chaplin
