"We provide distraction to help them temporarily forget the often traumatic medical environment."
Our 'Paint a Smile' project uses interactive 3D murals to brighten up often dull and chilly hospital rooms with a colorful and lively family of animals. This project provides sick children with a pleasant visual distraction during their stay or consultation at the children's hospital.
We bring nature, fun, colour, and a special experience to the children's hospital to make their stay more pleasant and less stressful. Our goal is to alleviate the discomforts associated with their days, which are often marked by stress, worry, loneliness, and long waiting times.
"This project is beneficial to the child's imagination, healing process, and mental well-being."
The reactions of families and medical staff show that this colourful project has a positive impact on the sick child, his environment, and the staff of the children's hospital..
"We receive a lot of positive reactions from the children in our department. It's wonderful to ask them how many little animals they can find on the mural where raccoons play hide and seek. It provides a good distraction during a blood draw or when we need to give them an injection to prepare them for a medical procedure."
Sara de Brandt, Deputy of the Paediatric Oncology Department, UZ Brussels
The child can gain energy and courage to fight the disease while enjoying the interaction with our 3D murals. This distraction serves as a therapeutic tool to help alleviate pain.
Through this project, we also aim to express our gratitude to the healthcare sector, which is dedicated to supporting our target group and many others every day.
Note: This project was started in 2021, despite and partly due to Covid-19, because our vacation project was not possible during the pandemic. It will be annually evaluated and could also be implemented as secondary project, depending on the demand, the available funds and the involvement of sponsors & partners. Our "Paint a Smile" project is only applicable in Belgium. This project benefits i.a. hospitalised sick children, a project through which we join, among others, the Charter of EACH (European Association for Children in Hospital). EACH is an international umbrella organisation open to European non-governmental, non-profit national associations involved in the welfare of children in hospital and other health care services. In 1988, all members created a Charter stipulating in 10 points the rights of sick children and their families before, during and after a stay in hospital and in other healthcare services. The rights mentioned in the Charter apply to all sick children, regardless of their illness, age or disability, their origin or their social or cultural background, or of any possible reason for treatment or forms or places of treatment, whether as in-patients or out-patients. With our secondary project “Paint a Smile”, we refer amongst others to Article 7: Children shall have full opportunity for play, recreation and education suited to their age and condition and shall be in an environment designed, furnished, staffed and equipped to meet their needs.