Amal Al-Sibai Saudi Gazette JEDDAH – Laughter is the best medicine. The original source of this famous quote is unknown and it may not be entirely true, but what doctors have discovered as a fact is that laughter aids in the healing process and in pain relief among patients. Studies have shown that laughter may raise the level of infection-fighting antibodies in the body and boost the levels of immune cells. A hearty laugh can even lower elevated blood sugar and blood pressure levels. In a study of 19 diabetics, the group was one day given a serious lecture after their meal and the blood sugar level was tested. On the following day, the same group ate the exact same meal but they watched a comedy afterwards, and the blood sugar levels were tested again. Researchers found lower blood sugar levels after the comedy than in comparison to the results after the lecture, even though the contents of the meal were exactly the same on the two days. Laughter in patients promotes relaxation, sleep, and pain relief. A living testimony to this finding is the widely known Norman Cousins who suffered a debilitating and painful spinal condition (ankylosing spondylitis). In his book, Anatomy of an Illness (As Perceived by the Patient), he describes how watching funny comedy films and episodes of Candid Camera helped distract him from his pain, gave him a more positive outlook, kept depression at bay. He also said that ten minutes of laughter allowed him two hours of pain-free sleep. Children by nature are funny and they memorize jokes faster than they learn their arithmetic. Although most kids use their humor to pull wild pranks on their peers (and to annoy their parents), some kids in Jeddah got together and made a plan to use their wit to make sick children in a hospital laugh and have a good time. They proved that youngsters are not all addicted to the internet and video games, and they set an excellent example of community service and volunteering to spread some happiness and share good laughs with those who needed it most. A group called Athar Alshabab comprising students from different schools in Jeddah visited the pediatric ward of the International Medical Center (IMC) and delivered gift bags, balloons, smiles, and heartfelt supplication and wishes for a swift recovery. The tiny patients attended the exciting party, some seated in wheelchairs, some came with their parents who helped them carry their IV unit with them, while others were a bit more robust and actively participated in the event. ToysRUs generously donated a gift voucher of SR100 to each patient. The youngest of the group, Muhammad Al-Shareef, wrote a hilarious script for a short play with a moral at the end. He was one of the leading actors who even directed the whole play. To guarantee 100 percent appreciation by the audience, the act had a lot of movement, slips, and falls. The funny skit was followed by a puppet show, presented by a sixth grader Aya Alzuabi, and finally a magic show. One of the stars in the play, Abdulraheem Al-Subei, said: “I used a squeaky voice and changed my accent to make the children laugh. I felt really bad for some of the kids and I wanted them to have a good time, and I hope that we can perform similar visits to all hospitals in Jeddah.”
Weam Abbadi who works at the Patient Education Center at the International Medical Center, said: “We routinely hold educational and entertainment events in the hospital and we welcomed the volunteers and facilitated the procedure for them to conduct this show for the children in the hospital. Although the young patients were of different ages and some of them had just recovered from surgery and were in pain, the hospital staff noticed that the children positively interacted and enjoyed the whole show.” A budding Saudi magician who displayed a host of visual tricks and awed his young audience calls himself Khalid Tornado, and he told Saudi Gazette: “The most important part of the whole event was that the sick children had fun, laughed, and had some time to think of something else other than their illness and pain.” While the children were giggling and squealing with delight, some of the parents had tears in their eyes as their hearts were touched by this kind gesture. The leader and mentor of the volunteer group, Muhammad Maratni, said: “I was highly impressed with the boys because they took the initiative to organize the show, write the play, rehearse it and take time out from their own leisure time to practice and come to the hospital and make this visit a success. We pray for a swift recovery for all the children we met at the hospital.”
