On any given day at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, Clown Doctors can be seen roaming the hallways and visiting children, using the healing power of humor to create smiles when and where they are needed the most. Big Apple Circus Clown Care® recently celebrated 15 years of bringing such laughter to patients and their families at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital. To commemorate the occasion, patients and their families were treated to a carnival-themed “Quinceañera,” a Spanish coming-of-age celebration held on a child’s 15th birthday, in the hospital’s playroom, complete with food, games, prizes, and fun for all.
Clown Care® Clown Doctors are specially selected professional performers who are trained to work in the sensitive hospital environment. In partnership with medical staff, they use juggling, comedy, magic and music to help ease the stress of illness and aid in patients’ healing. Clown Doctors visit all parts of the hospital – inpatient wards, emergency department, and outpatient clinics – treating the healthy part of the child and re-introducing laughter and play as natural parts of life, even in a hospital.
