Patch Adams, the “crazy man who believes that laughter cures everything”

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Hunter Doherty "Patch" Adams is not just the fictional character so tenderly played by Robin Williams. The real laughter therapy doctor was born in Washington DC (USA) on May 28, 1945.

Adams spent his childhood on foreign rcs data china bases, where his father served as a commander in the US Army. After his father's death, Patch returned to the United States with his mother and brother. He was 7 years old. There, he began a new stage in his life, one that would be mainly marked by the pain of facing a society with strong racial disintegration. For several years, Patch suffered the contempt of his parents for refusing to accept racial violence. Thus, he became deeply depressed and attempted suicide three times.

Finally, after being admitted to a psychiatric hospital and receiving all the love and support from his loved ones, Patch Adams made a radical decision: instead of taking his own life, he would make a revolution (of love). Thus, at the age of 18, he began studying medicine to make his desire to serve humanity come true and promised himself: “Never again would I have a bad day.”

This is how the story of Patch Adam and the Gesundheit Institute began . As part of his challenge, the young student began to act as a “clown” in public every day, putting into practice the healthy habit of making people laugh. And he outlined the foundations for an eco-village and community hospital where any kind of health problem could be treated free of charge. Adams invited his classmates to also commit to his love revolution and thus the Gesundheit Institute was born.

This health centre operated 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and integrated medicine with theatre, crafts, agriculture, nature, education, recreation and social services. For 12 years (between 1971 and 1983), the volunteer doctors served thousands of patients. However, it became increasingly difficult for them to continue operating without financial support and that is when they decided to go out and look for support.