Healing Arts at Lifespan

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So you need to be in the hospital. Do you think you might need to have a red nose transplant? Or a kitty cat scan? If so, you clearly need the services of a professional Doctor of Delight, such as Dr. Gonzo, DD, or Dr. Boomerang, DD.

The doctors of delight (a.k.a. clown doctors) come to Hasbro Children’s Hospital through the Big Apple Circus Clown Care program, which seeks to bring the wonder of the classical circus to children who are hospitalized. Clown doctors work in teams of two conducting clown rounds, where the healing power of humor is the preferred treatment. Each member of Clown Care is a professional artist selected through intensive auditions for artistic excellence and sensitivity, and provided with training to prepare them to work in the hospital environment.

In partnership with hospital staff, the performers work with the children, their parents and hospital staff to help ease the stress of llness. Masters of gentle parody, they perform their own specialized procedures using juggling, mime, magic and music to make light of the typical routines of medical rounds. They help demystify complicated medical procedures by performing their own clown medicine, such as chocolate milk transfusions or plate-spinning platelet tests.By exaggerating intimidating medical jargon and procedures to humorous extremes, the clown doctors help everyone get beyond fear, anxiety or boredom, while providing an outlet for a child’s natural love of silliness and fun.

This program was made possible by a generous gift from Hasbro Inc. and The Hasbro Children’s fund.

Find out about Hasbro Children's Hospital's Big Apple Circus Clown Care unit.

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