After 37 years as a radiation oncologist with Stormont Vail and St. Francis through Radiology and Nuclear Medicine of Topeka, retired physician Dr. Rusty (Russell E. Greene) is spending his Saturdays teaching our guests how to juggle!

His story is such a wonderful example of the incredible people who share their time, talents, and passions with the Kansas Children’s Discovery Center. We’re grateful to have him here, helping kids try something new, have fun, and maybe even master a few juggling tricks along the way!

“When I was in college, I chose to live in a dorm for outdoorsy kids since I’ve always been active and spent a lot of time outside. A couple other students in my dorm could juggle and I always admired the talent but assumed it required some special skill or coordination. On their encouragement, though, I tried and found that, with practice, I could start keeping balls up in the air, too. That initial success inspired me to keep practicing. The thrill of mastering tricks motivated me to learn more.

That sense of accomplishment is also what inspired me to teach juggling. I love seeing kids and adults experience the joy and pride of learning, and I’ve found that most people really can learn to juggle with a bit of encouragement and patience. 

The Children’s Discovery Center is the perfect environment to learn to juggle. It’s a place that celebrates the connection between learning and play. Juggling does that, too. It’s not just fun; there’s good evidence that juggling is good for both the brain and body, and the hand-eye coordination benefits are just the tip of the iceberg! It helps the gray and white matter of the brain make connections. It also improves balance and posture, in addition to building muscle and cardiovascular health. I hope kids and their parents or caregivers (because a lot of adults enjoy learning juggling at the Discovery Center!) experience all of these benefits as they learn to juggle, and that they also benefit from the opportunity it provides to connect to others while entertaining them. 

I love my Saturdays at the Discovery Center. My joy in practicing medicine has always been making connections with my patients, interacting with all of the phenomenal and kind hospital staff, and feeling like I’m contributing something to the people around me. Spending time at the Discovery Center is fulfilling in all those ways. It’s also just such a lovely place to be – it’s full of family bonding, children having a blast, and the loveliest staff. I’m grateful for the opportunity to spend time there.  – Russell Greene MD.    AKA Dr. Rusty”