Farsons employees raise funds for Dr Klown

A sum of €1,000 collected by Farsons employees was recently presented to Dr Klown, a non-governmental organisation dedicated to providing clown doctor services at Mater Dei Hospital.

Upon the initiative of Alexia Tabone, a contestant in this year’s Miss World Malta and also a nurse, employees were encouraged to get their nose on in exchange for a donation. The generous sum collected by the employees was topped up by the company.

“Laughter is truly the best medicine and its healing power must not be underestimated. We are proud of our employees who have embraced this activity and donated wholeheartedly,” said Antoinette Caruana, Group HR manager and company secretary.

Dr Klown was set up in 2010 when a group of people with a similar goal came together and transformed a dream into reality in setting up this NGO. A training programme was set out for aspiring clown doctors together with a multi-disciplinary team of professionals. What started off as a pilot project is now evolving into a grow- ing NGO that prides itself in delivering humour.

Clown doctors are volunteers from every walk of life that are artistically and psychologically trained to entertain children in hospital. For clown doctors, it is the person that matters, not the illness. Even when children are very sick they are still children and clown doctors can help them forget they are sick for a moment. Just a smile is enough for the clown doctors to know that they have helped.

Clown doctors visit children in their beds or stay with them while they are having treatment. They “play with the moment” and improvise around each child’s situation and interests. Children are encouraged to join in but sometimes they just want to watch. Families and staff are also included in the fun.