Englewood, NJ: On August 17, 2010, ArtWorks will introduce Surprise!Supplies, a program that provides art supplies for children with chronic or life-threatening illnesses, to the Inpatient Pediatric Unit at Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center. The goal of Surprise!Supplies is for these children, and their siblings who accompany them, to have their own kit of crafts to keep them busy creating while anticipating a long day in treatment, enduring an extended stay in the hospital or accompanying a sibling to a procedure. In addition to the assortment of art supplies and craft kits, ArtWorks will provide a custom designed mobile Art Cart designed by Pop Artist Ed Heck, to store and transport these materials with ease. The unit also receives an ArtWorks Bulletin Board to display patient’s paintings and drawings.
The inpatient pediatric unit provides acute care to patients with cardiac illnesses, asthma, juvenile diabetes, and neurological disorders, among other health problems. Once implemented, the Surprise!Supplies program is estimated to impact at least 50 patients and 25 siblings each month in the inpatient unit. This program provides children with the means to unleash their creative energy, helping them cope with the challenges of stressful and painful hospital visits and admissions.
