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It was an extremely stressful time, but as if by magic the clown doctors would always arrive on the ward at the right time and brighten everyone’s day. The children would perk up, parents would have their minds taken off the awful and often harrowing situations they were finding themselves in, and even the staff would smile!
Parent of a child who had open heart surgery at Guy’s
Whenever the clowns were on the ward it made my son so happy that the reason why he was there seemed to melt away. The smile on my son’s face brought tears to my eyes. Making children laugh and smile under such tragic circumstances deserves to be highly rewarded.
Parent of a child with cancer at Pendlebury Children’s Hospital, Manchester
On our first meeting with Dr Kala our daughter was very ill, she just lay in bed with tubes and drains coming from all parts of her body. She hadn't spoken to us for a few days and we were desperate as we felt she would give up. Then one day in walked the clown doctor who sang and talked and joked and played silly tricks that made us laugh. Our daughter responded in her own way, which was with her eyes; they sparkled, she was hooked, there was a funny lady who had come to entertain her and our hopes started returning...On a cancer ward a lot of children won't make it through treatment, but their last days are filled with laughter and fun from the clown doctors...they show the parents that they are allowed to smile and that it's good to have laughter around even when things are bad'.
The parents of a child cancer at Addenbrooke's Hospital
As you know Ysabela was only 5 months old when she was diagnosed with leukaemia, she was too young really to understand what was going on, but our other 3 children, Ethan, Zackery and Adrienna loved you. They couldn't wait until you came next, you really put a smile on their faces when otherwise they were sad, they are older than their sister so understood the possible consequences of cancer. You made them smile and forget what was happening and I'm very grateful for that. They still talk about you now and it's been just over 12 months. You have really had a lasting effect on our whole family.
A parent at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital
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