Ollie Pale and the Therapeutic Clown Program
at Children's Hospital in London, ON
At Children's Hospital, the Therapeutic Clown Program has been serving paediatric patients and their families with play, fun, and humour within the health care environment since 2004.
Ollie Pale is the resident therapeutic clown. His role is one of friend, companion, and playmate as he offers children opportunities to play, laugh, and have some fun. He is a non-medical staff member who, alongside child life specialists, helps to normalize children's lives during their hospital stay. His pleasant and humourous demeanor goes well with his spontaneity, wit, and playfulness. Ollie is equipped with magic tricks, toys, gags and a mischievous nature, taking pride in making people happy.
The Therapeutic Clown Program can help to improve the hospital experience by creating safe play spaces
that support emotional expression, empowerment, and social interaction, as well as minimizing stresses
associated with hospitalization. The program provides individual and small group interactions in
patient rooms, playrooms, and hallways. It offers paediatric patients some distraction from the
medical side of their day and serves as a reminder that they are children and have the right to play.
The Therapeutic Clown Program is available to paediatric patients and their families four days a week: Monday - Friday (except Wednesday). Presently, the program can be found in the Paediatric Medical Day Unit, Paediatric Inpatient floor, Children's Emergency, and Paediatric Day Surgery.
Funding for the Therapeutic Clown Program is entirely through donations. To make a donation or for more information contact:
Children's Health Foundation at 1-888-834-2496 or visit their website, http://www.childhealth.ca/giving
Children's Hospital is a division of London Health Sciences Centre, and is located on the Victoria Campus in London, Ontario. It serves children in London, Southwestern and Western Ontario, parts of Northern Ontario, Canada and the United States.
Located at London Health Sciences centre, Children's Hospital serves as a regional referral centre providing specialized paediatric inpatient and outpatient services to children in southwestern Ontario from birth through age 17.
Formerly the Children's Hospital of Western Ontario, Children's Hospital continues to offer a full range of clinical programs and services, family services and innovative programs.
Children's Hospital is also a major centre for medical research, serves as a teaching hospital for physicians, nurses and other health professionals, and has an active continuing medical education program.