I think the key is that the hospital has gone to great lengths to create an upbeat and purposeful environment for the children. The halls are painted in murals that represent the seasons and activities that children like, such as pumpkin patches, playgrounds or forrests with children playing hide-n-seek. It is not just the walls either, its the floors and the ceiling and while the kids are riding around in the wagons from area to area for their treatments, they are looking at the walls. Its pretty amazing. The resources available to the families is pretty amazing too....they provide for language interpretation, counciling, nutrition, housing, financial and transportation needs and so much more !
I have to say that the artwork of the children that is displayed throughout was the most telling of how they are feeling. The children are encouraged to express themselves and they do through art. The ABC wall really got to me....the kids wrote thier feelings in the forms of 'A is for....' and each letter of the alphabet has a list. The lists are frank and difficult to read. Here is a picture from the ABC wall where V is for Vomit...that speaks volumes doesn't it? Joe says this will be a tour he will not soon forget, I think we all feel that way. The phrase I saw most was "St. Jude Rocks" and clearly it does ! xxoo TML
