RTS1BBL1
11 Aug. 2017
Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
Children with disabilities being treated at Brazil's hospitals, where economic hardship has crimped services, are getting an emotional lift from a mythical creature of the sea: a mermaid. But in this instance, the siren is quite real. Sereia Carol (Mermaid Carol) has earned her living portraying a mermaid and teaching mermaiding since 2012, when she left her job of 10 years as a veterinarian. She is paid for performing at events such as children's parties but donates her time at hospitals. Dressed in costume with a long, shiny green tail, she chats with young patients and "they feel included, cherished." "It is a very beautiful and gratifying thing." REUTERS/Pilar Olivares SEARCH "OLIVARES MERMAID" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY. Matching text: BRAZIL-MERMAIDS/
