LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- They say laughter is good medicine. That's why one doctor at a Louisville hospital shows up in her patients' rooms decked head-to-toe in costume.
For Dr. Kathy Thomas, at Norton Women's and Children's Hospital on Dutchmans Lane, dressing up has been a prescription for success for more than 20 years. Whether it's dressing up as a leprechaun or wearing an inflatable turkey costume, Thomas loves to surprise patients and coworkers.
And the inspiration for it all came from the movie "Patch Adams." The 1998 film stars Robin Williams portraying a real-life doctor who incorporates humor into his treatments.
Thomas believes the costumes are so important that she made a deal with her employer.
"I actually had them put in my contract that I would not have a dress code," she said.
The costume custom started small.
"I originally only did it at Christmas because Christmas was my favorite holiday," Thomas said. "And then it kind of morphed into, well, 'What about Valentines, and what about Halloween, and to all the other holidays.'"
By the time Thanksgiving rolled around, it was time to dress up as an inflatable turkey.
"The blowup turkey was difficult because it was inflated, so I had to deflate it even to sit down," she said. "So it was a little cumbersome to wear, but it was only for one day, so I managed."
She has a huge closet at home filled with costumes because she learned her adult patients laugh only about 10% as much as children.
"That's what's wrong with us," she said. "That's why we have high blood pressure and we're stressed out and anxious and have strokes. We don't laugh enough."
Thomas's costumes help address that problem. Patients who see her costume of the day often break out into laughter. But she does the get occasional patient who freaks out a little bit because she's not wearing the typical lab coat.
The day she dressed as a leprechaun surprised a patient's daughter.
"The daughter came to the nurse's desk and said, 'Well, my mother's hallucinating. She's seeing giant leprechauns,'" said Thomas. "And the nurses said, 'Come here. We have to show you something. She's really not hallucinating. There really are giant leprechauns around.'"
Thomas puts the costumes on at home before she leaves for work, leading to some interesting interactions with fellow drivers.
"I get double-takes, I get slam-on-the-brakes, I get the light turn green and they are still sitting there," she said with a laugh. "Yes, lots of curiosity, I'm sure, wondering where she is going dressed like that."
Collin Browning.
Patients such as Collin Browning can use a good dose of her visual therapy, along with a sound medical diagnosis.
"The first time I saw her come in, I was like, 'What's going on here? Is this my doctor?'" Browning said with a laugh.
Thomas said it makes her happy to make others happy.
"Sometimes that's all we can do is distract them while the great healer of us all takes over," she said.
Thomas has about a month's worth of costumes for every holiday. Her husband even built a shed in their back yard for storage. She picks up costumes at Goodwill, costume stores, church craft bazaars or consignment stores.
"If I can brighten somebody's day, mission accomplished," she said.
Copyright 2020 by WDRB Media. All rights reserved.
