Famous doctor and clown Patch Adams is visiting Armenia. Adams and his fellow doctor-clowns visit about 10 countries a year to organize performances in hospitals, orphanages and retirement homes.
Patch Adams believes that laughter, joy and creativity are an integral part of the healing process; they strengthen the immune system, promotes the production of endorphin. With the help of friends, he founded the Gesundheit Institute in 1971 in order to address all the problems of health care in one model.
Many know about Adams from a 1998 film, featuring Oscar-winning actor Robin Williams.
Within the framework of a week-long stay in Armenia, Patch Adams and his team will visit the orphanages in Yerevan, Gyumri, Vanadzor and Dilijan, as well as children’s hospitals to present a unique program famous in the world.
“Unfortunately, it’s hard to find a normal person in a world, where the authorities and money have become ultimate values, while love and laughter are dangerous phenomena. For example, in the US keeping the public in unhappiness, loneliness and boredom is the best means to control the society,” Adams told a press conference in Yerevan.
“Remember that happiness and unhappiness are just means to control the population. It’s no accident that the most beautiful thing in the world – love – is never praised anywhere. At last, it’s hard to control loving people, controlling unhappy people is much easier,” he added.
Asked what percentage of people he thinks are happy, Patch Adams said “just 5.”
