Bring healing art to kids in medical crisis

"She's been having to spend a month at a time in the hospital," her mom shared with us. And now, during the COVID-19 pandemic, she spends hour after hour in her hospital room, often alone or maybe with one family member allowed to visit her. The procedures, the treatments, and the hours of waiting and wondering are almost too much to bear. And there are no support services like the Children's Healing Art Project (CHAP) weekly in-person healing art programs to break the monotony, give her a creative outlet, and bring her and her family the opportunity to experience the healing power of art during this incredibly challenging time.  They are understandably temporarily on hold for the safety of the children.

Thousands of children in area hospital are experiencing the same thing she is going through. To CHAP, that's not OK. So, for the past 6 months, CHAP has been partnering with OHSU Doernbecher Children's Hospital to broadcast live, one-hour creative art sessions facilitated by CHAP teaching artists with great love and caring into the rooms of hospitalized children. Each week, CHAP delivers packs of carefully packed art supplies specific to the next week's broadcast directly to the hospital for staff to distribute to the children in their care. Then, at 2pm every Tuesday, the children are instructed to tune in to CHAP Creative Time and follow along as they make everything from Valentine's Day pop-up cards and mobiles to string painting and snow-globes (pictured here). "It really brings out her creative side!" adds her mom. 

And what about the few months here and there that she is recovering at home? CHAP mails her boxes of art supplies and inspiring creative ideas directly to her home to enjoy! It's called CHAP in a Box and it's available to children dealing with medical challenges who are unable to safely leave their homes for medical reasons.

It's creative CHAP programs like these that continue to help children and families experience the benefits of the healing power of art, no matter where they are or what they are facing.