Twelve-year-old Hannah Walsh enjoys art. Her most recent project is a self-portrait, with an owl sitting on her shoulder.
"The owl will protect me from illness and evil spirits," she said.
Hannah has a rare lymphatic disorder that requires regular infusions at All Children’s Hospital.
However, during her latest visit to the hospital, she got another kind of treatment, too: an art cart. An art cart is filled with ways to help young patients like Hannah get their mind off all the poking and prodding that can go along with treatment.
Artist Rose Marie Prins helps patients like Hannah put their creativity on paper. Prins is with Creative Care, a program that brings art into the hospital.
From drawing and painting, to creating cards and collages, artists say they see how art can help pediatric patients heal.
"I can tell you, instance after instance, where blood pressure went down if it needed to go down or up if it needed to go up," she said. "Just smiles on faces, people who’d been in pain no longer in pain, all because of art."
Even though the patients benefit from art therapy, the program is in jeopardy.
"Literally, we are at the end of our funding and so if we don’t get funding, if we don’t find fairy godmothers and fairy godfathers out there, then there won’t be funding to continue this program," Prins said.
Hannah’s father says the hospital art has been helpful.
"It would be a big loss for the children,” said Time Walsh. “It’s something that we really need to as a community rally around to make sure it’s in place."
Hannah finishes her portrait, it shows her and her owl enjoying a sunny day on the beach, she forgets about being in the hospital, at least for a little while.