Healing with hearty laughs

CHENNAI : Milaap.org, India’s largest crowdfunding platform and Kanchi Kamakoti Child’s Trust Hospital in Chennai organized a clowning session for their young patients at the hospital today. This new and exceptional initiative has been designed to use laughter and humour to help young kids recover while they are undergoing treatment for chronic illnesses.

Medical clowning is a renowned form of therapy for patients who are under treatment for various health conditions. Research shows that it spreads positivity, uplifts the spirit and helps reduce the patient’s or their family’s anxiety. Over the course of Milaap’s work in creating awareness and building medical crowdfunding in the country, the organization is cognizant of the enormous emotional and mental stress the caretakers and patients (especially children) go through during the treatment process. To further extend support to the emotionally distressed families, employees at Milaap have been organizing clowning for patients in several hospitals across the country. Rigorous workshops are conducted to train people to act like clowns and bring smiles to those suffering.

Dr.S.Ramesh, Medical Director at the hospital said, ” Being in the medical fraternity for so many years, we know the financial and mental stress that patients and their caregivers go through. it becomes extremely exhausting for young children undergoing treatment for chronic illnesses and battling through their journey for recovery. In such a situation, a heartfelt initiative as clowning is indeed refreshing and gratigying. we thank the employees at milaap for taking time out to visit our patients in the hospital today”.

This event is even more relevant today as September is celebrated as World Childhood Cancer Awareness month and the event today was graced by Dr.S.Chandramohan, chief executive officer, Dr.S.Ramesh, medical direcor and Mr.R Krishnan, CFO. there were around 10 Milaap employees who visited the permissible wards of the hospital, put on colours, wigs and red balls to appear like clowns. There were puppet shows, games and other fun activities throughtout the day.

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