October 10, 2003

Healing hands celebrate healing arts

The Healing Arts Team at MassGeneral Hospital for Children held two celebrations the week of Sept. 29 to update the MGH community, patients, parents and caregivers about its progress and accomplishments. The team comprises physicians, house staff, nurses and administrators – along with patients and families – who are using the healing power of the arts to bring hope and joy to pediatric patients and their families and caregivers.

The first event – the unveiling of the Nick Ressler Musical Instrument Library – took place Sept. 29 on Ellison 18. Ressler was a patient on Ellison 18 who died from bile duct cancer in April 2001. "Nick was a talented musician who brought his guitars to the hospital to help him cope with his long stays. It is our hope that other teens will benefit from the healing power of making music," says Pam Ressler, Nick's mother. The musical library currently has an acoustic guitar, two electric guitars, a keyboard, drums and a violin. The unveiling showcased musical performances by current and former patients, by community artists and by Raffi Tachdjian, MD, of MassGeneral Hospital for Children.
The second event - the Healing Arts Fall Festival - took place Oct. 3 in the WACC Lobby.

A little one gets a music lesson in the new library.

This event celebrated two of the fundraising results from the first annual Healing Arts Celebration held in January - the musical instrument library and the creation of the first tiles for the Child-Caregiver Tile Wall, which eventually will adorn the walls of Ellison 17 and 18. More than 100 artworks from children, caregivers and families also were on display at the festival with a preview of selected works intended for silent auction at the second annual Healing Arts Celebration, which will be held next spring.

For more information about the Healing Arts Team, send e-mail to vmadhavan@partners.org or sstout@partners.org