Search for new volunteers to join Dr Klown in hospital

Dressed in a colourful lab coat and complete with a big, red shiny nose, Dr Gimme5 hopped into one of the outpatients’ clinics, where a young boy is nervously waiting to have a blood test. As the clown bends down to fasten her loosened shoelaces, an avalanche of knick-knacks exploded out of her pocket – and the boy’s furrowed face instantly gave way to a beaming smile. “We distract the children through the element of surprise,” said Corinne Wood, the person behind the antics. “We improvise, fool about and make fun of ourselves. Hospitals are generally negative places and we help bring positivity and warmth. It’s a very fulfilling experience – it gives me a great boost which gets me through any black moments I may encounter in my life.” The 46-year-old mother of five, who happens to be a doctor by profession, forms part of Dr Klown, an NGO which stimulates the therapeutic effect of laughter by entertaining children re­ceiving care in the wards and outpatients’ clinics of Mater Dei Hospital. The voluntary organisation, which was set up in 2009 by Jean Paul Fabri and Jean Pierre Busuttil, is now looking for new recruits to join its troop of clowns. “We’re not after fully-fledged...