Forging friendship through art and healing

Camille and Méganne are two teenage patients who come to the Children’s Day Hospital for treatments several times a month. Before the two were placed side-by-side during treatments, they didn’t know each other. But during a recent visit, the pair hit it off and discovered they have much more in common than spending lots of time at the Children’s.

“I was diagnosed with concussion recently and had to take a break from screens,” says 17-year old Camille. “I am currently home-schooled and one of my projects was to create something for other patients like me, who have to undergo frequent treatments in hospital. I decided to create this box and filled it with things I made from scratch using recycled materials. I created finger puppets to help patients who have to have their fingers pricked, and made some bracelets and keychains. I put them in a box I painted to represent strength, courage, determination and healing. It took me a lot of time, but I really enjoyed doing it.”

“And I made this watercolour for my nurse, Sylvia,” says Méganne, a 14-year old patient with Crohn’s disease. “Having this illness, it can make me feel really tired some days. But my nurse, Sylvia, started talking to me and she was just so nice. She made me feel like she really understood what I was going through. Instead of feeling like a sick person, she just made me feel like a person.”

“Focusing on art as a healing tool is the spark that ignited this amazing new connection between two incredibly talented patients,” says Julie Bergeron, Child Life Specialist in the Children’s Medical Day Hospital. “It’s wonderful when patients can connect with each other, and even more inspiring when their talents can be used to help others heal too.”