Donor Impact Report ChildLife 2011

Art Therapy We know that doctors, researchers and nurses are all vital to Riley’s first-class patient care. To these components add structured creative activities, and you have a recipe for healing which touches all areas of a child’s well-being. Through the process of handling art materials, thinking about what to make and actually creating a piece of art, children dealing with the stress of their health challenges can cope better with their symptoms and medical experiences while enjoying the life-affirming pleasures of making art. Established through generous gifts from donors, Riley’s new art therapy program gives children an important creative respite from the sometimes daunting routines of their illnesses. “Art therapy is the therapeutic use of art by people who experience illness, trauma or chal-lenges in living,” according to registered art therapist Michelle Itczak, hired in April 2010 to launch the program. Art therapists are profes-sionals trained in both art and therapy; they are knowledgeable about human development, psychological theories, clinical practice, spiritual, multicultural and artistic traditions and the healing potential of art. Therapists use art in treatment, assessment and research and provide

consultations to other Riley professionals involved in a patient’s overall care. Adding art therapy moves Riley up in the rankings with some of the other children’s hospitals by diversifying services to patients and providing another creative outlet for patients coping with illness. The program is still developing, but many families have already noted the positive effect art therapy has had on their child’s treatment.

Child Life, Creative Art Therapies & Education

Since 1924, Riley has embraced a family-centered care philosophy based on mutual respect and collaboration among caregivers and families. As part of the medical team, the Child Life, Cre-ative Arts Therapies and Education staff members address important non-medical needs and provide support to patients and families. Each Child Life specialist sees up to 25 patients each day, including inpatients and outpatients. These specialists, assigned to every area of the hospital, include an events coordinator who works with volunteers to plan events for patients; teachers who coordinate with patients’ local school teachers to keep up with schoolwork as much as possible; creative arts therapists, including music therapists, an art thera-pist and, beginning soon, a part-time dance therapist. Illness and injury affect the mind and spirit as well as the body. A diagnosis of catastrophic illness first impacts a child’s fundamental sense of security. Hospital-ization can be especially overwhelming for children and families. Tests and treatments necessary for health and healing are often painful, taking an emotional toll on children who are ill-equipped to express their confusion, wondering “why something good for me is hurting me?” Child Life therapists address these concerns through procedural preparation and distraction techniques.

Megan YoderOncologyIndianapolis

Megan SnyderOncologyWestphalia

School Program Bailey Huddleston is relieved knowing that when she returns to school, she will not have missed a beat in her studies. Thanks to the School Program at Riley, when Bailey and hundreds of other kids are ready to return to their classrooms, they will not have fallen behind. Made possible by donor support, Riley’s School Program collaborates with education systems statewide to provide a virtual school for patients unable to attend school. The program provides laptop computers with internet access, supplies and educational tools and counseling services to address a variety of needs. “There is nothing more normal for a child than attending school,” says Terri Bolles, Supervisor of Riley’s School Program. “Bailey loves school, but since August, she’s been at Riley receiving treatment for a

brain tumor.” At Riley, she connects with classmates reading the same story from different parts of the state. Teen mothers with babies in Riley’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit are able to continue their studies with online classes, enabling many to graduate with their peers. Armed with high school diplomas, these young mothers are better prepared to obtain employment and better care for their children.

Music Therapy Watching an ill child become lost in laughter, song or silliness warms the heart; it lifts the patient’s spirits as well. That’s what happened to Anthony Del Bianco, who is being treated for a brain tumor at the Riley Cancer Center, when he created and sang his own song in Riley’s music therapy program. Donors made that possible by enabling Riley’s Child Life Center to acquire digital music production equipment and software. Assisted by staff therapists and his father Shane, 9-year-old Anthony composed his masterpiece. “Singing karaoke, he really got into his music and enjoyed hamming it up,” says Krista Ward, one of Riley’s certified Child Life Specialists. As father and son became involved in music, Anthony’s health challenges were forgotten for the time being. “Anthony’s dad e-mailed me about how much he appreciated the music group and how Anthony talks about coming to Riley and writing his own song,” Krista shares. “Anthony was having so much fun laughing and smiling during the whole music group.”

n 90 individual art therapy sessions the first six months

n 1,397 individual music therapy sessions in 12 months

n 655 kids received tutoring services

n 45 special events for Riley kids

n 500 radiology patients received procedural support

Did you know In 2010…

Thanks Again The need for support continues: nearly 60 percent of the children admitted to Riley are on Medicaid or are uninsured; insurance payments do not cover medical costs; more than half of Riley’s clini-cal programs are not self-supporting and insurance does not reimburse for Child Life programs. Thank you to all who designated gifts to Child Life, enabling Riley to provide expert care to children in need. Simply put, without your support, programs such as Child Life would not exist. Thanks to the School Program at Riley, Bailey Huddleton and

hundreds of other kids stay current in their studies, and when they return to their classrooms, they will not have fallen behind.

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Jeff Gordon with

Tatum Gumpf at a

Child Life activity.