Georges-L.-Dumont Hospital gets a pop of colour for its pediatric ward

From plain beige to rainbow balloons, a new wall mural is grabbing the attention of some of Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont University Hospital’s youngest patients.

“It’s the first thing he noticed when we got back admitted last week and he keeps asking to go see it every day,” said Brigitte Toner Parent, whose son is currently a patient. “We must have come at least 12 times yesterday.”

At just two years old, her son Jeremy, who has a kidney disorder known as nephrotic syndrome, spends a lot of time in the hospital. Even though it’s not known to be the happiest place, the array of balloons definitely helps.

“It’s awesome, really, like it cheers him up and makes him happy,” said Toner Parent, adding that it even helps make her feel a little happier as a parent at the hospital.

In less than a week, the mural is already proving to be successful and the hope is that it will help all kids who end up in the pediatric ward.

“I think most hospitals are just not child friendly,” said Phyllis Branch, Vitalité Health Network’s pediatric oncology patient navigator. “A child walks into a hospital, it’s very industrial, it’s very cold and these balloons are just so colourful, it warms it up, it makes it more childlike and fun.

“Children are usually very scared and it’s very, very scary to be in a hospital so having something like this will show that we might be kind of scary people and asking them to do lots of scary things, but they can have a little bit of fun and a little bit of joy in their day as well.”

For local artist Katie Doiron, it’s a story she knows all too well.

“I was a kid that was often in the hospital with severe asthma and I remember that the murals I saw as a kid really made me happy,” said Doiron. “I feel like the hospital is a stressful time for kids and parents so I just wanted something uplifting.”

However, the mural is also uplifting for the staff.

“It certainly helps me when I’m coming around the corner,” said Branch. “My office is right around the corner so I get to see it lots more than others, but I think that seeing something that’s meant to be joyful and happy would be good for everyone.”

With dozens of balloons now on display, it was a way for Doiron to give back and help other kids just like her who are spending parts of their childhood away from home.

“I believe that art actually has power to change kids lives and the worlds a dark place so anything that’s light, even though that sounds cliché, can have an impact on kids,” she said.

“I find the hospital is kind of dark and stress, or can be, and I just wanted sometime positive and uplifting and maybe something that would distract kids and maybe make them excited to go to the hospital and not seem as such a scary place.”

The mural was made possible through fundraising from the Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont University Hospital volunteers’ association, which gives money to projects that normally wouldn’t be funded by operational costs.

Officials say the volunteer association funds anything that will make patients lives a little bit better while they’re in the hospital.

“For kids, being hospitalised can sometimes creates anxiety and fear,” said Dr. Martin Robichaud, Vitalité medical director.

“Creating a soothing and welcoming environment can help mitigate those feelings. We are grateful that Katie was able to greatly improve that by creating this beautiful mural,” said Robichaud.

This isn’t the first mural that Doiron has painted in the community. The other local hospital has one of her murals on display and several schools in the area. She also has a dream to one day paint one at the IWK Health Centre in Halifax.

Already, multiple parents have reached out to Doiron to share the impact her mural has had on them, as well as thousand of people on social media who have now been touched by the art piece.