5 Casts. 3 Kids. 1 Chair.

It was a busy day at the hospital. I usually see one kid at a time for art therapy sessions. This day, though, got so busy and time was running out. I have a regular schedule with the kids, but things are unpredictable and there are so many variables that come into play. The kids go back and forth to the operating bloc, for dressing changes and for physical therapy, so I have to be flexible. But in this case, the day was almost over and there were three little boys that I hadn’t seen.

I wheel a little wheelchair everywhere I go on the hospital grounds. The art therapy room is clear across the hospital from the patient guesthouse where all the kids stay. I knew I would only have time to see one child so I thought I would make sure to see the other two boys first thing the next morning. But when I wheeled the chair up to their little hang out spot, outside on mats, the 3 of them were asking who was going to be next. I explained that time was running out and it wouldn’t be possible to see them all. The looks on their faces crushed me. They were so disappointed. So I quickly wracked my brain for a plan. I knew I only had one hour and I only had one little wheelchair. I don’t usually see three kids at once, but I realized that this time had to be an exception.

“Ok,” I said, “you’re all coming.” Immediately, I started putting all three boys, along with their collective 5 casts clanking together into the wheelchair. They thought it was hilarious and so did their mothers. We rode to the art therapy room and they had a great time painting and coloring together.

It was fun to see their reactions to each other. They have each been to art therapy sessions separately, but never together. It created a different dynamic, but I think they really enjoyed it. They where chatting away with each other, and seemed to be comparing notes. Questions like, “What is the best way to hold a marker,” and “How much paint should be squirted out” were mulled over (I think), with satisfactory results.

Two heads are better than one, of course, but three heads are better than two.

Their casts are bright white here, but soon to be painted!

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