Texas Nursing: Can you tell us the story of how Clowns Without Borders brought you to nursing?

Cunningham: I was volunteering with CWB in Aux Cayes, Haiti in 2005 on a project sponsored by Maison de Naissance when I decided to study nursing. Clowns were invited to perform in a small pediatric ward. This was the same pediatric ward that was demolished in the most recent earthquake in Haiti.

While performing, we witnessed the death of a young child due to malnutrition—of simply not having enough access to healthy food, medicine, and shelter. I was distraught to think that I live in a country where we are surrounded by gluttony, people dying of too much—too much food, too much medicine, too much alcohol, drugs, work, etc. I was curious to learn more about ways to improve health equity globally. Nursing was the best way to stay connected with patients and families, while learning about ways to help disrupt broken, inequitable systems of care for our global neighbors.

Texas Nursing: Your bio says you strive to help children in war-torn areas find joy. Would you mind talking about one of those experiences?

Cunningham: I was moved to be able to work with children in Cox’s Bazaar, Southern Bangladesh, who had survived the genocide that was occurring at that time in Myanmar. I helped run a small, urgent care clinic. In that clinic, when we had a break from providing medical care to our patients, we’d hang out and play with the young children. One child proudly showed us a kite he had constructed from a scrappy piece of plastic, two sticks, and a string. Playfulness is possible so long as we’re still breathing and alive on this planet—children remind us of that all the time, and in crisis zones, it is our role as nurses and healers to remind children of that when they are suffering unimaginably.

Texas Nursing: How has your work with Clowns Without Borders and your work in healthcare influenced each other?

Cunningham: Artists are healers. Nurses are healers. Nurses are artists. Clowns are artists and nurses can be clowns. Not in the sense of how people compare politicians to clowns, but more so in how the traditional Clown has—since ancient Egypt—been seen as a healer, a soothsayer, one who can help bring a sense of calm, playfulness, and joy to challenging settings. Every time a nurse walks into a patient’s room, they have the chance to heal the patient. They have the chance to slow down, get close to the patient, be present, and be amazed at how deeply interconnected we all are—no matter what. Clowns do this all the time on stage. Nurses do this all the time as healers. In my opinion, we are one in the same.

Texas Nursing: What message do you try to leave with your audiences and patients?

Cunningham: Slow down, get close, and be amazed at the outcomes. We are more connected to one another than disconnected, and nurses as healers have the power to pull communities together and heal the world. TN