The program helps hospitalized teens feel more at home.
Being stuck in a boring hospital room with drab walls, boring artwork, and the smell of antiseptic cleanser can feel like being in a prison. Especially if you’re a teenager who’s missing out on dating, playing sports, and hanging out with friends. That’s why the people behind the Wish Upon a Teen nonprofit have created a program to lift the spirits of teenagers who are confined to the hospital for long stays. Design My Room partners with 36 hospitals across the United States to redecorate sterile hospital rooms with cool adornments that make the patient feel at home. Bold-colored blankets, rugs, pillows, and artwork of the patient’s favorite movies, teams, and bands are brought in to transform the hospital experience and uplift the a sick teen’s spirits.
The Design My Room concept comes courtesy of Wish Upon a Teen president Michelle Soto, who was inspired while working with the youth at a California hospital. “The sad truth is that most hospitals do not understand what teens want or need,” she said. “As a child life specialist, I frequently had to tell 16-year-old cancer patients that ... if you were not into balloon animals, toys for tots, or magicians, then we were pretty much fresh out of programming.”
Design My Harry Potter Room from Wish Upon a Teen on Vimeo.
(H/T Good News Network)
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