SMILES and laughter echoed throughout the halls of the GV Health ward last Wednesday, with a surprise visit from the touring Clown Doctors.
Dr Okey Dokey and Dr Popoff bounced into the children’s ward gleefully, prepared with a trolley of tricks and magic to make the little ones giggle.
The Clown Doctor program is provided by The Humour Foundation, an Australian charity dedicated to bringing the health benefits of humour to the community. Using joy and laughter, the program endeavours to help children and families through scary and tough circumstances, distracting them from the daunting hospital setting.
International research has shown that humour and laughter are extremely beneficial to recovery, both psychologically and physiologically.
Clown Doctors work in partnership with medical professionals to divert children during painful procedures, to calm and divert in an emergency, and to provide a sense of wellbeing to sick and injured kids.
While in Shepparton, the Clown Doctors visited children’s ward patients, Kynan Langley and Shontoya McDowall, taking time to perform specialised humour surgery. 11-year-old patient, Shontoya McDowall giggled as the doctors performed a very important red-nose transplant surgery.
Sporting her bright red nose, Shontoya smiled and said, “It’s very fun. They’re funny and really silly.”
The Clown Doctors have a positive effect on heart rate and blood pressure, as well as reducing pain and stress and helping with the immune system. The humour also creates bonds between people and helps cope with difficult situations.
Reflecting on the impact of the Clown Doctors, Dr Okey Dokey said, “It’s a beautiful way to bring a bit of joy, laughter, play and love back into those spaces for people who are having a really tough time.”
