Dr. Dave: “Can you explain your concept of fun death?"
Patch: “Death gets a lot of bad press. Doctors look at it
as a therapeutic failure while patients are taught to dread it.
Why not make dying a glorious swan song rather than a mo-
- rose and lonely event?
For most of this century, birth was a lonely event with
the mother in pain and alone in.a, hospital room with a
masked doctor. Now it is more celebratory as we have
birthing classes and fathers and friends involved. Why not
have deathing classes to prepare us for death? Why not a
celebration of being koeether before we die, rather than af-
ter the fact?
Dr. Dying is that prices a few minutes before death .
when the brain is deprived of oxygen; everything else i is.
-Jiving.”
Dr-Dave: “So rather than the Grim Reaper, you would
like to see death personified as .
Patch: “The Happy Hooker, sO to speak.”

tage 55, Patch Adams
is a social revolution-
é ary. A dreamer with- -
out the time to dream.
Sleeping only three or four
hours a night, he is driven by _
a mission improbable. Not
satisfied to simply establish
The Gesundheit! Institute in —
West Virginia, a hospital free
from insurance companies,
unhappy patients and up-
tight doctors, he has also
taken on the cause of free-
ing orphans in Russia. In
1985 Patch Adams went to
Russia as a nasal diplomat.
(no, not naval, though I sup-

pose he’d-have worn red lint i in his belly Dutton if it gener- "Dr. Dave: “Tell me about the physicians and other care-
ated a laugh). givers you will use at your hospital.”

‘Rather than speak’ Russian (the only word he knew was Patch: “Caregivers who are caretakers. They and their
“Dr, Zhivago”) he preferred to speak Clown. His passport . families will live on site and earn less than $3,000 per year.”
was a photo of himself sporting a massive redrubber nose. Dave: “$30,00! Is that a typo?”

He shared laughter, love and dozens of red noses (no, not Patch: “Nope.”

roses, though I'suppose if he’d had a rose, it would squirt. Dx Dave:“$3,000? Maybe the newspaper copied itdown wrong” 7
water) with Russians in the street. He danced with them, Patch: “Not at all. Furthermore, thousands of doctors: ©
_ giggled and sang with them. He visited hospitals and or- | have applied to work at the hospital for that meager amount. :
phanages and laughed for two weeks with Russian children © They appreciate that this will be a place ies they. can
and soldiers alike. He has returned each year to Russia. practice medicine as it was meant to be.”.

But not all is joy.and mirth. Touched by the plight of  -sDr Dave: “Finally Patch, I must ask, “did y yOu really bare
some orphans who.were at the mercy of soulless men,-he “your backside when you graduated?”

was determined to build his own orphanage to protect these ~~ Patch: “You don’t think I’m capable of that?” ae, a

_ kids: When it comes to: orphans, this clown is dead serious. Dr. Dave: “Oh geez. ... Patch ... don't... you're not going ~

Each fall -he returns. with a: large troupe ¢ of builders/ doc- _ to... hold off now ... sheesh ... I would have taken. your:

tors clowns. = es word for it.” ;
. Dr Dave: “So. how do: you sipport: your various projects?” : Patch: “But how. much fun would that have: been? Listen,

« Patch : Since the movie, it has become much. easier to ‘this interview. is just. chatter. If you want a real interview,
why, don't-you join me in- Russia this. fall for. a. couple. of

weeks and be build the orphan: ge? How’ rR sian?”
r Zhi go.

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