Hospital Art

(photograph copyright 2009 by Dan Routh)

My son Devin's friend Cally (Cally and Devin are seen above during a visit) has spent most of the summer in the hospital at UNC-Chapel Hill. She hasn't been ill though, rather she is taking part in a choline depletion study for the Nutrition Dept at UNC. That means eating food that has no choline in it, which is pretty much nothing but sugar and water and a small amount of protein. Though she does have the chance to get outside for a few hours each day, most of her existence is in a small hospital room and the adjacent hall. Being forced to live in a contained space is at the least stressful, and Cally is doing her best to cope with the situation. Stress sometimes triggers a rise in creativity, and Cally has been doing just that. She reads, writes in a journal, and most interestingly, draws on her food service placemats after each "meal". She has created quite a portfolio of wonderful illustrations, some of which appear below. Click on the image for a larger view.


(all illustrations copyright 2009 by Cally Womick, used with permission)