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Clowns dispense healing doses of humor at Boise area hospitals By Dianna Troyer In the hushed hospital hallway with its subdued neutral décor, Wild Card, Shortcake, and Bubbalee look out of place in their colorful clown outfits, their fiery wigs, and brightly painted faces. Yet they are in the perfect place, exactly where they belong. As caring hospital clowns, these vibrant volunteers have dedicated themselves to dispensing a weekly dose of humor to help hospital patients feel better and improve
their healing at St. Luke’s and St. Alphonsus in Boise. The clowns visit the hospitals on alternate weeks and not only briefly distract patients from their illness; they keep the hospitals’ care staffs and themselves smiling, too. On this particular morning, Wild Card (Doris Allison, 88), Shortcake (Shirley Moss, 73) and Bubbalee (Vikki McQueen, 57) are at St. Alphonsus meeting at the office of Volunteer Coordinator Cathy Reckmeyer. “They certainly can’t sneak in,” says Cathy with a laugh. “Patients are amazed, pleased, and surprised to see clowns in a hospital. You certainly don’t expect to meet a clown here. Patients love the time they spend with them. The staff loves seeing them, too, beDoris “Wild Card” Allison (left), Shirley “Shortcake” Moss (center), and Vicki “Bubbalee” McQueen (right), are favorite visitors with patients at Boise area hospitals. Being a volunteer clown is rewarding work requiring clown training and interpersonal skills [Photo provided by Smile Aide]
cause it provides a positive break in their day.” The retirees keep clowning around in hospitals not only for the sake of patients but for themselves, too. “It’s gratifying to make people smile and to brighten their day,” Shirley says. “It makes you feel good.” Doris, Shirley, and Vikki are board members of Smile Aide, a Boise-based group of volunteer caring clowns founded in 1999 as the humor-in-the-hospital movement began to gain momentum. Smile Aide has a core of about eight members who clown actively. In addition to regular hospital visits, Smile Aide clowns also participate in special events the hospitals sponsor throughout the year. After their meeting, the Clowns’ rounds start in St. Alphonsus’ intensive care unit with hospital Chaplin Ben Chon, who plays guitar. “We sing ‘You Are My Sunshine’ and ‘Home on the Range,’ songs that most people can relate to,” Vikki says. “Sometimes a patient is unresponsive until we start singing,” Doris says. “Then we might see them tap their fingers in time with the music or see their lips move a tiny bit to sing along. It just brings tears to (Continued on page 20)