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Photograph by George Sakkestad

Sunny, also known as Gordon Markley, checks out a patient using a toy stethoscope, which emits a hollow-sounding beating noise. When he hears the "heartbeat," he performs a jig.

Humor Therapy

The Markleys earn city recognition because of their special brand of healing

By Steve Enders

There aren't many things cheery about being in a hospital.

But one of them happens twice a month when people's faces light up as Willa and Gordon Markley enter the Alexian Brothers Hospital in San Jose.

Willa and Gordon, a.k.a. Twinkles and Sunny, are two colorful clowns from Sunnyvale who wander the halls of several area hospitals, including Alexian Brothers. Every other Tuesday, they touch patients' lives like no doctor or nurse can. In fact, sometimes the doctors and nurses get as much out of the clowns' unique medicine as the patients.

"Sometimes they need cheering up just as much as the patients," Willa Markley said.

The two wear the standard clown costumes: red noses, flowery hats and baggy pants. They provoke smiles and laughter among patients. Sometimes they face language barriers, but that doesn't stop these clowns.

Last Tuesday, the Markleys brought their routine to three floors of the hospital's most sensitive units, including a pediatrics ward.

They knocked on open doors and asked patients if they'd like a visitor. Then they danced their way into the patients' rooms with a pushcart full of fun and games.

For the next few minutes, Sunny and Twinkles pull gags and light jokes out of their hats to cheer patients up.

"[The gags] are corny, but they always get laughs. The mind floss--that's a good one," Willa Markley said, pulling back and forth on a piece of string that appears to slide through her head, coming out both ears.

Some of the other gags include a fake blood-pressure monitor and stethoscope that makes an audible, hollow-sounding beating noise when Gordon pushes a button. When they hear the heart beating, they each dance a jig.

Twinkles said to a patient, "I get to eat the same thing you do in here-- coffee and rolls," while showing her a picture of a coffee can and a few toilet paper rolls.

The patient was so thrilled by Twinkle's and Sunny's visit that she was literally rolling around, kicking her feet and laughing in spite of her pain.

"You know, there have been things written about the value of humor in healing situations," Gordon Markley said.

According to Kent Field, a spokesperson for the hospital, the Markleys fill a void by bringing joy to the bedridden patients.

He said that most hospitals have two types of volunteer programs, usually where young adults or senior citizens come in to help.

He said the Markleys' brand of volunteerism is unusual enough that the city of Sunnyvale recently took notice. The Markleys were honored as runners-up for the Volunteer of the Year award, which was presented last month by Mayor Jim Roberts at his annual State of the City address.

"We don't know who nominated us, but we thank 'em!" said an appreciative Gordon Markley.

The Markleys have been doing their act since January, when they retired.

Instead of retreating to the golf course, the Markleys decided it would be more fulfilling to help others. Actually, they still find time for golf games, but volunteer time gets priority.

"I started out playing Santa Claus for the grandkids," Gordon Markley said. "Then I was asked to play Santa for the seniors, and they got a bigger kick out of it than the kids. I wanted to entertain all year instead of just one time a year."

Shortly afterward, the couple decided to join a clown club in Redwood City, and even traveled to the University of Wisconsin at Lacrosse to attend clown school for a week.

There, they went to seminars on healing with humor and how to tailor an act appropriate for hospital patients.

"Some of the patients we see are sick and have lost control," Willa Markley said. "But they're in control with us. If they're sleeping or don't want a visitor, then we won't come in. We feel that is significant. We still honor their privacy."

Some of the toughest times the clowns have had have been while trying to console those who are dying or the loved ones of dying patients. Part of their volunteering is done in other area hospitals and care centers where death has hit close to home for families.

Willa Markley said she's seen people break down who were in the waiting room because their loved one was waiting to die.

"We just do what we can to comfort them and give them appropriate support," she said.

Otherwise, the Markleys prescribe joy like medicine, and the patients are appreciative. In fact, they distribute prescription slips that say, "Take two laughs and call in the morning."

"I think it's a lot of fun," Willa Markley said. "It's fulfilling and fun at the same time. It's good to see smiles."

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This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, May 27, 1998.
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