Artist, firefighters join forces

Photo: Contributed

A room in the pediatric ward at Penticton Regional Hospital is a little bit brighter thanks to a partnership between local firefighters and an artist.

The Penticton Professional Firefighters Union local 1399 hold several charitable events each year and vote within the membership on what to spend the proceeds on.

Last year the union allocated $1,000 to beautify a pediatric room at PRH and approached local artist/illustrator Alexandra Brooke (aka Belleartiste) to collaborate. She and her family spent quite a bit of time in the pediatric ward when their son was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.

Brooke donated her time, while the firefighters' union covered the supplies. 

“Hospital visits can be terribly distressing and intimidating for both children and their families. Rooms can feel barren, lifeless and clinical. By creating this illustrative artwork for their wall I hope to provide a fun, cheerful focal point to help brighten and lift their mood and bring comfort with a colourful, playful distraction,” Brooke said in an email.

“I believe children need both emotional and clinical treatment. Art in hospitals has shown to reduce anxiety by 75 per cent and pain by 60 per cent . The power of art to heal is very real.  I’m very grateful to have been given the opportunity to create an art piece that can have therapeutic response on our community’s young patients.”