Helping Kids Redraw Their Worlds
For nearly 20 years in the Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at Children's National Hospital, thousands of patients have found joy and healing through the combined power of creativity and expert guidance. Tracy's Kids Art Therapy Program in honor of Marcelle and Patrick Leahy is a lifeline and an outlet for many kids during treatment.
Molding and sculpting clay made it possible for 9-year-old Chloe to express herself throughout many hospital stays and two bone marrow transplants. It also helped her improve mobility issues due to an autosomal condition called Farber Disease.
Art therapy boosts the healing process by giving young people the courage, clarity and resilience they need to navigate challenging times.
― Steven Hardy, PhD
Director, Psychology and Patient Care Services, Cancer and Blood Disorders Center
Today, Chloe is thriving after a successful transplant made possible by a donation from her younger sister, Neriah. "Chloe has come so far," says their mom, Zondria. "Art therapy has been a big part of the process."
Our board-certified team of art therapists helps kids process the stress that can come with treatment. They work with patients in the outpatient clinic, the unit's art therapy studio or at their bedside. The program also is available to siblings and caregivers. It offers coping skills essential to healing. "It often is as important as the medicines we provide," says Jeffrey Dome, MD, PhD, senior vice president of the Cancer and Blood Disorders Center.
Steven Hardy, PhD, director, Psychology and Patient Care Services, Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, supervises the program. "Art therapy boosts the healing process by giving young people the courage, clarity and resilience they need to navigate challenging times," he says.
The team made one of their young patients, Olivia, an honorary art therapist because she loved to "open" and "close" the studio, turning out the lights and shutting the door after each visit. Art therapy, especially creating with glitter paints and beads of water and plastic, gave her something to look forward to during chemotherapy, radiation and blood transfusions.
"Art therapy saved Olivia during treatment," says her mom, Katelynn. "She was able to express her feelings and come out of hard moments. We now have an entire space in our house that mimics the center's art studio."
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