Art ameliorates life for patients

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Art ameliorates life for patients

Creative activities help children who are suffering from illnesses, hospital official says.
By Zain Shauk

Published: Last Updated Tuesday, February 3, 2009 10:15 PM PST

NORTH GLENDALE — Glenoaks Elementary School parents on Tuesday sorted through boxes of art supplies that were collected over the last two weeks through a drive to support an arts and music program at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, said Lan Fabian, outreach coordinator for the PTA.

Severely ill children often use art and music as a form of therapy at the hospital, but the facility relies on donations to support the activities, with some supplies to come from Glenoaks for the second straight year, said Ashley Huddleston, assistant director of special events at the hospital.



“That program benefits the patients directly in that we have art therapists and music therapists that work with the patients in the hospital,” Huddleston said.

A group of four parents went from classroom to classroom with a cart to collect boxes of crayons, markers, colored pencils, glue sticks and stationery, which they then sorted by type into 11 boxes of materials, Fabian said.

Parents will take the donations to the hospital, which treats children with serious health problems, Feb. 12, she said.

“I really think that these kids are so sick,” she said. “And they came to the hospital to do all sorts of procedures and testing, and I think any time you can [offer arts activities], I think it will really help them heal and help them feel more normal and more human, like the rest of the kids.”

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