I'm a kid Too! Funded by the Society for Arts & Healthcare and J & J

  • Swanberg, Jennifer (PI)

Grants and Contracts Details

Description

This project, "I'm a Kid Too" is a collaboration between Lexington Arts & Cultural Council; University of Kentucky College of Social Work and College of Medicine's Departments of Pediatrics, and Psychiatry; UK Chandler Medical Center; UK Museum of Fine Arts; Hospice of the Bluegrass and LexingtonlFayette Urban County Government Department ofPatks and Recreation. The project requests . $19,948 to fulfill two primary goals: (I) to engage foster and adoptivechildren with severe medical diagnoses in using photo-documentation as a healing and self-expression tool; and (2) to educate health care providers, specifically physicians, psychiatrists, social workers, nurses and other human services professionals about the unique needs of children born with significant medical challenges through the use of visual story telling. Children with significant health needs are often viewed as "unfortunate," "disabled," or "less than" children without serious medical diagnoses. The prognosis of 'medically fragile children' is often poor ifnot terminal. As a result, health care providers view them as 'weak' or not worthy of a certain quality of life, and decisions are made accordingly. Moreover, such children are viewed as a diagnosis, rather than a whole person of which the diagnosis is just one small part. Additionally, unless involved in an innovative education program, children with significant medical needs have limited opportunity to engage in artistic expression. The "I'm a Kid Too!" project intends to use photo essays created by the young 'medically fragile' as a form of artist expression and a way to tell their story. These photostories will be used to educate physicians, psychiatrist, nurses, social workers and other health providers about the day-to-day realities of what it is like to be a young person with a severe or tenninal medical condition. As an example, in a pilot project used to test this larger project idea, a photographer worked with a 16- year old boy to tell his story about what it's like to live with cystic fibrosis, and to know that he will die before the age of 17. The photo essay had absolutely nothing to do with his medical condition, but rather it illuminated the life and mind of an active 16 year old. When the boy's essay was presented at an inservice, th.eattendees' were overwhelmed by how much their initial impression of the boy's capabilities and limitations changed once they viewed his story
StatusFinished
Effective start/end date1/15/0512/31/05

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