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“Laughter Therapy” Delights Children with Cancer in Russia
For one day, the Blokhin Scientific Research Institute of Children's Oncology and Hematology in Russia, where children from more than 100 different regions of the country receive long term treatments, became a circus, of sorts, when volunteers, specialists and clowns from Maria's Children visited the hospital.
Maria's Children is an educational nonprofit organization that operates as a rehabilitation artistic center for orphans, children abandoned by their parents and children with special needs. JDC's partnership with Maria's Children began in 2005 and has already touched the lives of 400 children. In addition to utilizing art therapy in their work with children, Maria's Children has also begun to explore the field of laughter therapy, particularly in hospitals, working both with the kids and teaching the hospital staff how to use these methods. Maria's Children professionals visited the Blokhin Institute and conducted training sessions with members of the medical staff, doctors, nurses, psychologists and educational specialists. At first, some doctors were reluctant to dress the part but they soon took to the idea and discovered that once in costume the children became very playful and thrilled to interact with their "new" doctors and nurses. Throughout the day, both the children and the hospital staff benefited from the lighthearted, but profound message that everybody is capable of taking on a clown's persona by simply putting on a big red nose. The caretakers learned that by "becoming a clown" they were able to cheer up the sickly youngsters and relate to them as children, rather than sick patients. And the children were able, even if just for an afternoon, forget their illnesses and struggles and just be children. JDC's partnership with Maria's Children is part of its larger commitment, through its International Development Program, to offer non-Jewish communities relief and longer-term development assistance. November 2006 |
