Molly Penny the clown marks 20 years of lifting spirits at CHEO
With her electric blue hair, bag of tricks and sense of humour, Molly Penny has played a vital role helping patients and families as CHEO's therapeutic clown for decades.
"She was actually a good friend for me and my husband being there, and she was great with the other kids," said parent Krystal Moreau. "Abigail would look forward to going to CHEO just to see Molly."
This year marks Molly Penny's 20th volunteer year.
"I'm really truly blessed to be in this situation because humour is amazing how it changes the situation from disaster mode into fun mode," said Molly Penny. "And you don't go with the medical part you just use your sense of humour and all the kids have a sense of humour."
"She is just as essential a part of our organization as the building, as the equipment, as the expertise and we just love her," said Alex Munter, CHEO president and CEO.
Molly Penny was an operating room nurse at CHEO for years before her second career was born after a clowning workshop.
"It allows them moments of laughter and fun and joy that can be a distraction to the illness or the surgery or the procedure that they need to have done," said Sarah Bigford, the development and rehabilitation clinical manager at CHEO.
There's no shortage of stories and surprises involving Molly Penny. Bigford recalls one time when she helped a shy boy meet one of his favourite hockey players during a visit with the Ottawa Senators.
"She sort of prepared him with some jokes and tricks that he could use as bit of an opening to warm up his conversation with the players and it just warmed my heart to see how she helped him achieve really something that was so important to him," Bigford said.
Molly Penny is there for kids and families through tough times too.
"You have to go with the plan with the kid and leave the parents in the background because you know what they're feeling and so once the kid starts to laugh then the parents eventually do come around, even though it's sad moments," Molly Penny said.
Molly Penny said the kids will always come first.
"I just like working with kids and that's the bottom line. The bottom line is … even if the Queen was here or Mr. Munter it wouldn't matter, the kid gets priority," she said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I have the will to live': N.B. woman needs double lung transplant
A New Brunswick woman suffering from sarcoidosis, a disease that limits your lung capacity, is in need of a double lung transplant.
Suter scores late goal, clinches series for Canucks
Pius Suter scored with 1:39 left and the Vancouver Canucks advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night in Game 6.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.
The kids from 'Mrs. Doubtfire are all SUPER grown up now, and we're not OK
The adorable trio of child actors from the 1993 classic comedy 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' which starred the late and great Robin Williams, are all grown up and looking back on their seminal time together.
Video shows suspect setting Toronto-area barbershop on fire
Video of a suspect lighting a Richmond Hill barbershop on fire earlier this week has been released by police.
Hulk Hogan, hurricanes and a blockbuster recording: A week in review of the Trump hush money trial
Crucial witnesses took the stand in the second week of testimony in Donald Trump's hush money trial, including a California lawyer who negotiated deals at the center of the case and a longtime adviser to the former president.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.