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The Humour Foundation of Ireland
The Humour Foundation of Ireland is a charity dedicated to promoting the health benefits of humour.
On the 21stSeptember 2005 it launched its Clown Doctors Programme which uses the healing properties of laughter to aid the recovery of sick children. Our Lady's Hospital in Crumlin is the first to use the programme and it's going down a treat!
Clown Doctors will visit children at their bedside and parody the hospital routine to help children adapt to the hospital environment.
International research has demonstrated the health benefits of humour.
 Clown Doctors attend to the psycho-social needs of the hospitalised child. They parody the hospital routine to help children adapt to hospital. Clown Doctors distract children during painful or frightening procedures. They dispense doses of fun and laughter and help children forget for a moment that they are ill. Everyone benefits…patients, families and staff. Clown Doctors are highly skilled professionals and work in partnership with health professionals.
The Humour Foundation was founded in Australia in 1997 by Dr Peter Spitzer and Jean-Paul Bell.
Media coverage of the launch
The Irish Examiner
IF LAUGHTER is the best medicine, then children in a Dublin hospital are in good hands with the introduction yesterday of ‘clown doctor’ rounds. Serving up a mixture of juggling, puppetry, mime and magic, the performing artists at Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin have been specially trained by the Humour Foundation to work in hospitals and use laughter to improve children’s health.
As part of the novel programme, ‘clown rounds’ are being conducted through all wards at the hospital, including intensive care, emergency and outpatients, as well as in the corridors, foyers and lifts. Bedside visits are also an option, involving the young patients and their families.
Assistant director of nursing Sharon Hayden said the hospital was delighted with the new concept.
“Clown doctors work together with the hospital routine to help children and families laugh and adapt to the hospital environment,” she said.
Clown Doctors co-founder John-Paul Bell said the project used the healing properties of laughter to help children recover. They depend on public goodwill to fund the project.
The Irish Independent
IN the film 'Patch Adams', the doctor with the wacky red shoes and the philosophy that laughter is literally the best medicine was told that if he wanted to be a clown he should "join the circus".
But a leading Dublin children's hospital is recognising the power of humour and its patients will now be able to benefit from a prescribed dose of the giggles just like the good doctor ordered.
Our Lady's Hospital in Crumlin will today launch the country's first Clown Doctor programme, in conjunction with the Humour Foundation of Ireland. Professional performers selected for their skills as well as their sensitivity and compassion, they will work to help children and families adapt to the hospital environment.
Specially trained by The Humour Foundation to work in the hospital environment, the clown doctors conduct 'rounds' of the wards, intensive care, emergency, outpatients.
The red-nosed performers have been doing their rounds for the last fortnight with their jokes, music, magic, mime, puppetry and balloon animals. Staff report they are "going down a treat".
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