Hadassah Heroes Blog: Medical Clown Dush provides comfort to Ukrainian refugees

‘’A one in a million chance’’ By David ‘Dush’ Barashi

Let me tell you a story of which the end is still unknown…
While I was in a refugee camp at the Ukraine-Poland border, working with refugees who have powerful emotions, fears and occasionally heartfelt smiles.

I stopped for a moment at Hadassah Hospital’s Medical station, suddenly one volunteer came to me politely and hesitantly asked – are you a Hadassah medical clown? I answered yes!

The volunteer tells me with enthusiasm and excitement:
‘So listen, take a breath…
There is someone here that says you were her daughter’s clown in Hadassah Hospital, Jerusalem in Oncology. You accompanied them until her daughter died…’

I walk towards the bereaved mother, a Ukrainian refugee. Enough to see her before she discovers me. I admit and confess that at first glance I don’t recognise her. But she has already recognised me and says with a smile and confident Hebrew ”Shalom” and I answer back with a smile, shalom & blessing.

I ask her to show me pictures of her daughter and she takes out her phone.
And suddenly there she is, the beautiful Julia.
The photo gallery starts running in front of my eyes.
I clearly recognise, remember and feel that so much has passed since.
And she says ‘there are more pictures with you but on the other phone’.

I invited her into Hadassah’s clinic for a moment since it was a little quieter, the hustle and bustle around us did not suit our feelings at all. I opened the door and immediately told the staff what just happened here! Dr. Rivka (Principal of Nursery Children) and Mira (Head Nurse Neurology) the ”angels”, immediately receiving her with a hug and family warmth. She starts to tell and share about then and now – everything is jumbled…

And Mira translates and she also sheds a tear!
All four of us like in a fishing boat, in a stormy sea of ​​emotions and waves.
She wanted to send her regards to the staff at Hadassah so we sent a picture and they immediately replied with words of encouragement and love.

So yes, suddenly she starts telling Mira everything that was…
And comes to the sad part that Julia passed away. Since then they have returned to Ukraine. Then comes a happy part full of life, a few days after her daughter’s death, she became pregnant, her son today is almost three years old healthy and beautiful and she is with him in the camp.

And I think to myself, she is in the reality of war…
And she’s just recovering from that war at the end of which she buried her daughter!!!
We hugged, laughed a little, there were tears and we both did not really believe that such a thing could happen… The family are now on their way to Switzerland and I told her that we will help with everything she needs.

Things happen here and words are woven into stories, but this is the kind of case of a clown’s chance ‘in a million’. And for me this is just more proof that clowning erodes the foundation of trauma and anxiety… 🙏🏽