Not a lot of people know this, but Patch Adams is a real person. You may know of him from the 1998 movie starring the late, great, Robin Williams. He’s renowned for his philosophy of treating the people, not just the illness. Being not only a doctor, but a clown and activist, his modus operandi focuses around bringing joy to not only his patients’ lives, but anyone in the world who needs a brighter day.
But Patch Adams is not the only medical professional with a heart of gold.
Introducing Joe Ronquillo, also known as Nurse Joe of St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital, Boise, Idaho.
He’s a dedicated man with a very important job. What sets Nurse Joe apart from other nurses is that he goes above and beyond every day with his slick dance moves. They may say that laughter is the best medicine, but a quick look at any of Joe Ronquillo’s patients at the pediatric annex will attest that a little dance goes a long way.
It takes a bit more daily effort from Nurse Joe, and a lot of heart!
Where Patch Adams used his clowning skills to cheer up sick children, Nurse Joe uses his phenomenal dance skills to cheer up the kids.
“I love children and I love dance, and luckily I’m in a position where I’m able to accomplish both.”- Nurse Joe told Inside Edition.
And it’s not just Joe performing to the kids…
Sometimes what puts the biggest smiles on the children’s faces is when he dances with them. Staying active and engaged can do wonders for recovering patients, so enjoying a little dance can make a profound difference in a patient’s experience of time in hospital.
It takes a real-life hero to take it upon himself to brighten up the lives of the kids he works with every day.
As he continues to tell Inside Media:
“A lot of these children are there for a long time. They’re chronically ill, they’re battling different types of cancers and I’m not shy. I will literally humiliate myself every single day as long as I know that I can put a smile on their face”
Now if that’s not the classic definition of a hero, I don’t know what is.
Nurse Joe’s dancing went from just being something that he did with the patients that needed it to something they’d use to publicize the hospital itself.
“They contacted me and I said “oh no I’m gonna get in trouble for doing a lot of this nonsense I’ve been doing” but it was actually the opposite. They actually liked it and I think a lot of them didn’t know that this was going on and so they said maybe we can make a commercial out of this and show them what the pediatric annex is all about. “
So now, there’s a full commercial for the hospital featuring the man himself.
And with a little help from some backup dancers, he continues to bring the joy.
And that alone is worth its weight in gold.
Watch the full video below to enjoy Nurse Joe’s slick moves and see him in action!
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