Please help...pass this on to any contacts

[Guest guest]

Hello all fellow therapists and professionals. I am working on an exciting

project and I am reaching out for assistance. Please read the following attached

note and should you know anyone or know anyone who knows anyone that can help,

have them contact me. Thank you in advance for taking the time to read this and

please pass it on!

The Project:

Imagine this: Tomorrow you're going to wake up unable to communicate, you will

not be able to express when you are a happy or in pain. No one will know for

sure what you will want or need. No one can hear you when you say hello and

almost everyone walks by you assuming you have no say about anything. Your

family cannot come see you as often as they once could. Your loneliness

increases each day. Now wake up

Thankfully this didn't happen to you but for the children at Seton

Pediatric Center this is their everyday.

Due to the complexities of their illnesses' the children at Seton

Pediatric Center communicate through nonverbal means. Art, music and movement

are daily tools for conversing with staff and family. This type of communication

is easily adapted with staff due to their education but unfortunately families,

especially those with low socio-economic backgrounds, often have difficulty

understanding their loved ones language.

Additionally, these children have compromised immune systems making them

susceptible to viruses which can have devastating effects on their health.

Because of these effects visitation restrictions are put into place during high

viral outbreak season. This season can last up to 7 months. While the isolation

from family and friends is temporary it can have a demoralizing emotional effect

on the children, parents and siblings. Isolation prevents a child's ability to

regularly visit and communicate with loved ones creating a situation where

despair and loneliness can set in and adversely affect their physical well

being.

Seton Pediatric Center seeks to address the issue identified above by

creating the " Conversations through Photography " program. The " Conversations

Through Photography " program will make available to each child a digital

adaptive camera as well as providing a digital camera to the child's family. The

purpose of providing the camera is to facilitate and encourage communication in

a visual and personal way between children and families in order to minimize the

feelings of seclusion during times of mandated medical isolation.

By utilizing a digital camera, photographs and messages can be readily emailed

on a regular basis enabling children and families the ability to engage with one

another in a very personal and direct meaner-almost like being together. For a 6

week period the siblings of various ESPC residents will meet weekly with

renowned photographer Annie Levy and Art Therapist Robyn Schindler ATR-BC, LCAT

to learn basic photography skills and discuss the emotional impact of conversing

with their sibling. A simple digital camera can be a conduit to great joy and

emotional healing for these children while they are on medical isolation

restrictions. The " Conversations Through Photography " program can be a pathway

to connect, a pathway to share, a pathway to love for children and their

families.

Please help us achieve our goals by assisting with funding or donating equipment

as listed below.

The Goals

o Promote family bonding through non-verbal communication.

o Allow families to take an active role in understanding their child's wants and

needs.

o Decrease feelings of isolation during visitation restrictions

o Encourage self esteem among residents and siblings through creative outlet

o Communicate to the general population that these children have a voice and are

capable of participating in their community.

The Impact

Without the necessary equipment and funds to execute this program communication

between the families and children will continue to be dampened. This may impact

the healing process as well as the general well being of the children as

loneliness and separation will overwhelm their every day lives.

The community itself may never learn to view these children as an active member

of their society or realize the potential these children posses. In turn this

can lead to the children not only experiencing isolation from their family but

continued isolation from their community.

Equipment Needs:

10 Point and Shoot Digital Cameras (with charger or batteries)

10 4GB SD cards

10 Tripods

10 camera cases

Printing needs:

Weekly 5X7 or larger prints x30

Exhibit printing of large photos and text on foam board x20 photos and text

panels

Ink Cartridges and paper for Canon Selphy ES3

Exhibit space for one day (3 hour set up, 3 hour reception and 2 hour clean up)

Food and drink donation for reception