June 21,2006

Editor’s note: If you are interested in attending the open house on Sunday, please contact us so we can arrange an escort for you.

For immediate release

The PICU family photo

U-M Health System nurses honor children in the pediatric intensive care unit with a Wall of Courage

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The pediatric intensive care unit can be an emotionally challenging place to work, but for the nurses who spend long hours there taking care of children, it is a place of inspiration.

After receiving a photo and an update from a recent patient, four clinical nurses in the unit and their nurse manager, Julie Juno R.N., were moved to honor the little heroes who fight battles in the University of Michigan Health System PICU with strength, courage and endurance. Regardless of the outcome of their treatment, these children will remain a part of the nursing staff’s extended family portrayed on a mural called the Wall of Courage.

The PICU at U-M’s C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital will hold an open house to showcase the mural from 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday, June 25. The families of the 54 children featured on the wall are all invited to come.

“Our goal for this project is to provide inspiration and hope to families and staff. We hope that by reading stories of other children, patients and families will know that they are not alone in their experiences.” says Joetta Spillman, R.N.

Nurses(from left to right); Sherry Klopp, Joetta Spillman, Alyssa Akers and Patty Cassidy.

The Wall of Courage consists of a rich and colorful mural that smoothly transitions between the natural scenery characteristic of the four seasons of the year. Framed photos of the children who have spent more than one month in the PICU are suspended in the skies and stand next to images of creatures and critters. Below each photo is a brief description written by the child’s family.

“A lot of kids come from out of state for specific treatment and we wanted them to get a feel for Michigan. Some of our children also never have a chance to see the outside, or can’t go outside, so this is a way to bring nature to them,” says Sherry Klopp, R.N.

For Alyssa Akers, R.N., the journey through the seasons mirrors the children’s journey; it represents the good weather, bad weather, uncertainties and changes they face when they arrive in the PICU.

The mural also incorporates pictures that symbolize characteristics unique to the children the nurses have had an opportunity to get to know.

“There’s a waterfall with fish, turtles and frogs which reminds me of two kids I’m close to: one whose nickname was turtle and a little boy who loves frogs. Every time I see a frog I think of him and always will. He was an amazing child; they all are,” says Klopp.

“We hope we can make a difference in patients and families lives, as being in the PICU can be a very stressful place.  All of the patients and families that have to come to the PICU are courageous, we just wanted to honor those children that have spent a lengthy amount of time here,”says Patty Cassidy, R.N. 

The nurses will continue to add pictures as new faces join the PICU family. In the future, they plan on adding a dedication plaque to all the families that provide care for their children as well as a storyboard explaining how the mural came about.

Work on the project began last fall with the help of a Fostering Innovation Grant sponsored by the University of Michigan Health System. Shannon Scott-Miller, UMHS Child Life Department; Anne Parker, UMHS interior design; and Elaine Sims, UMHS Gifts of Art program, were also key contributors in the completion of the project. The nurses commissioned Ann Arbor artist Katherine Larson to paint the mural.

Written by Rossitza Iordanova

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