Countywide : Patients Get Real Charge Out of Show

To 10-year-old David Ramos, a patient at Children’s Hospital of Orange County, Robert Krampf, better known as “Mr. Electricity,” seemed to work miracles Friday afternoon making foot-long electrical currents shoot out from his body.

While Krampf’s apparent magic could not cure the La Habra boy, who is being treated for cystic fibrosis, the scientist did generate enough energy for a bright smile in the youngster.

“The way the stuff came out of his hand and his head,” said David, whose chronic disease often causes severe respiratory problems. “I’ve never seen stuff like that before.”

David was among two dozen young patients at the children’s hospital in Orange, who were educated and entertained by Krampf’s 45-minute show about electricity.

During his show, Krampf, who has appeared on “Late Night with David Letterman,” uses a coil that generates 1 million volts to produce impressive foot-long sparks--similar to the machines seen in old Frankenstein movies.

“Please don’t try this at home,” said Krampf, who planned the experiment for 18 months before attempting it. “It won’t work.”

The event provided the children, some recovering from routine surgery, others battling terminal cancer, with a much needed boost.

“He sure does a lot with electricity,” said Jose Felix, 12, of La Habra, who also has cystic fibrosis. “He lives dangerously, I guess. He does a lot of fun stuff with the lights.”

Jose’s mother, Mercedes Felix, also enjoyed the show.

“It’s good,” she said. “It kept his mind off of his sickness.”

Hospital officials were hoping the show would produce just that kind of reaction.

“Programs like this are phenomenal in diverting the patient’s sadness,” said Joy Wittrock, the hospital’s director of recreation therapy.

“Not that we want them to mask their feelings, but it helps when someone comes from the outside and shows they care.”

It was not only the banging and fireworks of the Tesla coil that grabbed the children’s attention, though.

In a simple demonstration of static electricity, Krampf made a balloon stick to his head by rubbing it on his hair.

“That was funny,” said Michelle Nguyen, 7, of Lake Forest, who has lupus, a chronic skin and arthritic disease. “I’ve tried that before, and it works.”

Krampf heads his own educational foundation and travels around the country teaching science to children and adults.

He said he always tries a little harder when performing at a children’s hospital.

“I love working with the kids,” he said. “If it can take their minds off their illness even for a few minutes, it’s worth it.”

Krampf will give his lectures “Watt is Electricity,” “The Nuts and Bolts of Lightning” and “Burning Questions: The Physics and Chemistry of Fire” for the next two weeks at the Launch Pad Science Center at Crystal Court in Costa Mesa and the Children’s Museum at La Habra.

For more information, call the Launch Pad at (714) 546-2061 or the Children’s Museum at (310) 905-9793.