Helping Sick Children In Nottingham To Smile Again
08 September 2011
It turns out that laughter might be the best medicine after all!
Studies from universities and hospitals in the US and the UK have shown that good old fashioned genuine, mirthful, laughter can really be a tonic for ailments as diverse as diabetes and heart disease.
This is because a good laugh stimulates blood flow and the production of beta-endorphins – also known as the body’s own morphine. Naturally, this helps enormously to make patients feel better, and the benefits can help keep them feeling good for 24 hours.
As it is for patients generally, so it is particularly for children, and that’s why Nottingham University Hospitals Charity is so committed to its Clown Doctors scheme.
The aim is simple – to provide specially trained Clown Doctors to make the children of the NUH wards, and their parents laugh. This “medicine” comes with the stamp of approval from the dedicated team of real doctors and nurses too, of course!
Nottingham University Hospitals is one of just 12 trusts in England to host the Clown Doctors – but they need your help so that Dr Tickles and Dr Giggles can keep making the rounds.
A small donation goes a long way and just £5 per month is all it takes to fund a monthly Clown Doctor visit to each child, but of course you can do more!
For example, Nottingham’s Answer-4u have chosen the Clown Doctors appeal as one of the main recipients of their fundraising efforts this year, and 13 staff will be running in the Experian Robin Hood Marathon in the city on Sunday, 11th September to help keep the kids in Nottingham’s hospitals smiling.
You can do your bit to help in this noble endeavour and find out more about the charity work at NUH by contacting them on 0115 962 7905 or emailing charity@nuh.nhs.uk.
Better yet, if you’d like to support the Answer-4u effort to help sustain the great work at NUH then visit http://www.justgiving.com/Answer-4u NOW and please do be as generous as you can because your money will be going to such a great cause.
With your help the Clown Doctors will be making sick kids in Nottingham smile for many years to come!
