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Red Noses Foundation Brings Joy to Hospitals
Posted On 14 Jul 2012
After being committed to a hospital due to miastenia gravis sickness and waiting for more than two months at a hospital, Raquel Rodriguez Rivera founded and organization free of charges called “Red Noses.”
“Been near death gave me a new perspective of life, you begin to enjoy everything with bigger intensity, to see everything more beautiful.”
Raquel Rodriguez
Despite her physical weakness due to her heart disease she did not quit when doctors recommended her that she should live a quieter lifestyle. During her studies in Peru, in 2003, Raquel discovered that there where clowns in hospitals, afterwards she attended a seminar as a listener and then she took the course and learned everything that involves being a hospital clown.
In 2004, Raquel attended a seminar of Victor Stivelman, during this time she named him her master since he helped her “fall in love with the nose” and become a hospital clown. One year later Raquel organized and international meeting of hospital clowns.
In 2006 Raquel began working with the foundation, which currently has 43 steady volunteers whose work is to attend the emotional and affective state of patients, be it children and adults. The Red Nose volunteers have a verbal agreement with hospitals like Francisco Icaza Bustamante and Leon Becerra. Despite they are volunteers of Red Noses have a very systematic and professional training that allows them to do their work without affecting patients.
The foundation gets volunteers through seminars, and those that “fall for the nose” become their new volunteers. Gaze the nose, refers to the work of the clown that achieves after searching his emotions, “the clown is a symbol of love, purity, and ingenuity.”
“We are doctors of the soul and we take care of the emotional health.” Raquel plans to form a hospital clown staff for 2014, this would allow them to reach different locations that need help.
The renowned doctor and clown, Patch Adams, attended for three years the seminars, and his presence as “godfather” as well as the most representative figure of this global work gave the nudge that the foundation needed. (AV)
