Collaborations: Expanding a patient’s world

UF Health Shands Arts in Medicine believes in creating a climate of collaboration in order to bring the best resources in our community to patients. A recent collaboration with the Harn Museum of Art provided a special experience for 22 year-old Lindsey Lamberty. She is a skilled artist, avid gamer, and loves nature. Lindsey has been hospitalized for many months while she waits to receive a heart and kidney transplant. During that time, Lindsey has worked closely with Art Therapist Amy Bucciarelli, Artist in residence Madeline Austin and other AIM artists to ensure that creativity is part of her daily life at UF Health.

Patient drawing zen garden design
©2016 Charlotte Kesl Photography
Amy with a patient
©2016 Charlotte Kesl Photography
Zen garden drawing with patient
©2016 Charlotte Kesl Photography

When a partnership developed between the Harn and Arts in Medicine utilizing the museum’s meditative rock garden in the new Asian wing, Amy and Madeline recognized that the project seemed perfect for Lindsey, and would allow her to experience the unique outside world of the Asian Rock Garden from inside her hospital room.

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Here’s how it worked – teams from the two organizations created a garden plan that mirrors the actual garden site at the museum, scaled to fit on a patients bedside table. Amy worked with Lindsey, showing her how to sketch a meditative design using a to-scale charcoal “rake”. Then, Martin McKeller the Harn’s garden keeper used her drawing to rake the garden, making her vision come to life. The two “met” via Skype as Martin remotely toured Lindsey through the garden.

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The experience not only expanded Lindsey’s physical world, but provided an opportunity for age appropriate learning and personal growth. Her design will remain at the museum until May 22, allowing visitors to enjoy her creation.

This unique project will be offered to other patients on long term stay at UF Health.