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AHN INTERVIEW:
Stephanie Zombo, The Suite Dreams Project
 "Creativity is a gift and using it to heal is an amazing feeling and a great accomplishment. Healing others keeps us grounded and in touch with what it's all really aboutÉmaking other people smile." -Stephanie Zombo
Based in Rochester, Michigan, The Suite Dreams Project was founded to bring comfort and joy to children affected by serious medical conditions by creating healing environments in their homes, in hospitals, and in their communities that improve their quality of life and speed recovery. This fall Danny Hobson, Director of the Arts and Healing Network, interviewed Stephanie Zombo about this inspirational healing arts project.
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Founders Kris and Kay
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Danny Hobson: What inspired the creation of the Suite Dreams Project?
Stephanie Zombo: The Suite Dreams Project was co-founded by Kris Appleby and Kay Ponicall. Kay's artist brother, Bill Bradley, had done such a fabulous job decorating Kay's children's rooms that she began to dream about creating fairy tale bedrooms for kids that needed them more than her own. By spinning a little magic around seriously ill children, she hoped to minimize the stress of hospitalization and give them the space they need to rest and recover.
The dream took a step into reality in the most unlikely surroundings. A group of seventeen girlfriends were on a junket to a spa in Scottsdale, Arizona. Kay found herself sitting next to Kris Appleby at dinner. She poured her ideas into Kris' receptive ears. Kris had been looking for a worthwhile project to fund from the General Sports Foundation, a charity recently set up by her husband's company. They had kicked around a couple sports related themes, but nothing pulled at her heartstrings. When Kay came along, the connection was made. The friends from the spa became the core group of volunteers. They set their goals high and never looked back.
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A jungle-themed safari room
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Danny: How do you find the children who would benefit most from your project?
Stephanie: The Suite Dreams Project only receives child referrals through participating healthcare institutions. Once the child's hospital social worker refers the child to us, we send the family evaluations and applications to fill out. We help the children in the most need first, but we have never turned anyone away. We are thankful that the sponsors and volunteers always seem to be just enough to fit the demand.
Danny: Please tell me about one of the children's rooms you have transformed.
Stephanie: One of the most recent rooms we've done was for 18-year-old Lennon Evola. He has Leukemia. Lennon has missed a whole year of school due to his disease. He is a very smart boy and has become increasingly interested in Japanese language and culture. The Suite Dreams Project created a healing space for Lennon with soothing shades of green and exotic Asian-inspired plants and furniture. We created something that is simple, sophisticated, and can help him heal by reducing stress and giving him a place to call his own. |
 Danny: What has been the reaction of some of the kids to their new rooms?
Stephanie: Most kids get that beautiful look on their face that has been hidden for so long because of the stress and pain of their illness. Those first seconds when we unveil a room to the child for the first time are the most valuable. During those moments, it was all worth it.
Danny: Has having an imaginative environment helped in their healing process?
Stephanie: The environment we can create for a child always helps. The letters we get from the kids and their families and friends are amazing...we can truly change their lives just by giving them something in their life to have control over. It's also a reminder that someone loves them and that the world really isn't such a bad place. Everyone goes through hard times, and there are people out there willing to volunteer their time to help you through yours.
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Suite Dreams Project Volunteers
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Danny: What has been one of the biggest challenges for the Suite Dreams Project? And what has been one of the most exciting aspects of this project?
Stephanie: Our biggest challenge for the project right now is to expand on a national level. There is so much interest to start chapters nationally, but with such a small project run by two busy moms and managed by one administrative assistant, it is so difficult to develop a plan that can move this in the right direction. We have to be so careful that basic concepts and ideas are not lost by expanding too quickly, for the wrong reasons, or in the wrong areas.
The most exciting aspects are realizing on a daily basis what we are doing for our community! Hundreds of children's lives have been dramatically changed and more children every day get a taste of the beautiful healing environments we've created in hospitals and in the community.
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Danny: How do you sustain your workÉcreatively, financially, emotionally?
Stephanie: All of the creativity that goes into our project comes from our volunteers. We are so blessed to have hundreds of talented people in the community that paint murals, donate flooring, refinish furniture, and help in countless ways.  The finances come from fundraisers and sponsors for the children's rooms. EmotionallyÉwe are a team. There is a lot of sadness when you see the pain and suffering some of these children and their families deal with but the reward is always greater. To take the sadness, and work as a group to overcome it, is a victory for everyone.
Danny: What are you looking forward to in the future for the Suite Dreams Project?
Stephanie: National chapters...but we've got to do it right!
Danny: What advice do you have for others wishing to use creativity as a force for healing in the world?
Stephanie: Follow your dreams! Creativity is a gift and using it to heal is an amazing feeling and a great accomplishment. Healing others keeps us grounded and in touch with what it's all really aboutÉmaking other people smile.
For more information about the Suite Dreams Project, please visit www.suitedreamsproject.org.
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FEATURED BOOK
Healing Environments: Design for the Body, Mind, and Spirit
By Barbara J. Huelat
 "Healthcare delivery is shifting from the state of sickness to the state of wellness, and thus, from the mode of curing to healing. This trend is revolutionizing the design and function of today's healthcare facilities, which are creating tomorrow's patient-friendly environments." - Barbara J. Huelet
This is an excellent resource for anyone wishing to transform the sterile and cold environment of the typical healthcare setting into one that promotes healing on all levels. As one reviewer wrote, "For anyone who has entered a hospital and was overwhelmed by its bus-station like appearance, Healing Environments provides hope that help is on the way. If everyone who designs hospitals or healthcare facilities reads this book, the world will become an easier-to-use and more beautiful place."
"In ten chapters, Healing Environments guides you through topics such as how families can and should be involved in the use of hospital space, how loud, scary machines cause stress and how to hide them from the patient and their family, how pleasant views, memorable fragrances, delicious tastes, and beautiful sounds reduce stress and supports healing, how knowledge, navigational directions, treatments, prognosis expectations, and life-style advice reduces patients' fear, how to incorporate nature into healthcare designs, and how to support the human desire to seek spiritual meaning in a distressful environment. The last chapter offers a complete description of a healing environment, a place of comfort and dignity for the body and a pleasure for the senses."
Author Barbara J. Huelat is nationally recognized for her award winning and human sensitive healthcare design. In her 30 years as a practicing interior designer, she has served over 200 healthcare clients with visionary solutions. Her book, Healing Environments, was published in 2003 by Medezyn and this 241-page paperback sells for $40. Please click here to order through Amazon.com.
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FEATURED LINK
 The Sky Factory
www.theskyfactory.com
The Sky Factory has pioneered the creation of custom ceiling art that brings the sky inside. Their backlit sky ceiling panels and ceiling tiles easily create the beauty and influence of nature's canopy in any environment. Their sky products are printed with photographic images of authentic skies and clouds, sometimes seen through overhanging tree branches, flowers or architecture. Because of careful attention to the details of perspective, composition, color printing, and materials, these installations provide a powerful and highly realistic experience of nature. Sky ceilings vividly recall the experience of lying on one's back and looking up into the sky. The result is a soothing, balancingÉeven healingÉinfluence in any environment.
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FEATURED LINK
Art Heals: Lifting Children's Spirits with Art
www.art-heals.com
 Art Heals began as a volunteer project in 1995 when artist Cynthia Gentry started painting murals at a children's hospital in downtown Atlanta, GA. The overwhelming response from the patients, their parents, and the hospital staff inspired the artist to paint full time. Today, Art Heals provides original art for web sites, murals, and illustration in order to create a healing environment for children's hospitals, daycare centers, schools, libraries, and homes. This work is based on the understanding that colorful and cheerful environments are inspiring, uplifting and healing for children.
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READERS RESPOND
Please send your thoughts and feedback on this month's news page to ahn@artheals.org. We would love to hear from you.
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