Laughter Is Medicine For Terminally Ill FOUR OAKS-- Though terminal illness is no laughing matter, research has shown that laughter is an alternative medicine for those with such illnesses. A group of students at South Johnston High School who are involved in the school's SkillsUSA Community Service Team have won first place in this year's State Leadership and Skills Conference through a collaborative effort with Carolina Health And Humor Association to promote healing through laughter. The students helped to build a Laugh Mobile, complete with an entertainment center that holds a combination television/VCR for the purpose of playing comedic programs. Trained volunteers will take the cart-constructed by the school's carpentry students-to help create humor as a form of alternative medicine. The first carts were used at Duke Medical Center. They are now used at UNC hospitals and other hospitals across the country as a healing tool for terminally ill patients and their families. The cart made by the students at South Johnston was delivered on April 8 to Heather Murphy of the Health Foundation at Wilkes Regional Medical Center in North Wilkesboro, NC. She reported that one volunteer had been looking for years for a Laugh Mobile to implement in the program. The cart will be returned to the school soon. The Community Service team members are Chris Cook, Kaleigh Wagner, and Matthew Johnson. Working with them to complete their project were Dennis Bailey, advisor, Judy Rose, Career Development Coordinator, and Mike Bridgers, carpentry instructor. The team will now take the project to national SkillsUSA competition in Kansas City, Missouri the last week in June.
