Want to read more about therapeutic music, art and related topics? Check out these stories:
Merina Healing Arts: Local television and print media, highlighting the support Merina Healing Arts provides to the community.
- Nov 11, 2009 - Tender Care brings music to lives: Program tunes into the needs of kids with autism NY Daily News
- Nov 2, 2009 - Art therapy helps Alzheimer’s patients connect with past Newport News Daily Press
- Sept 10, 2009 - Gina's Song, CBS, Couric & Co Blog
- Sept 4, 2009 - Man’s 3,400-Mile Mission to Build an Art Therapy Studio, The Wanueta Breeze
- Sept 6, 2009 - Silent Samaritans of Bengal, Telegraph India
- Sep 9, 2009 - And a Little Child Shall Lead Them, FastCompany
- Sept 1, 2009 - Tango Embraced as Dance Therapy, Health 24
- Sept 1, 2009 - VA Honors Veterans, Who Are Artists, Performers, Reuters
- August 31, 2009 - Seeing is Healing: Medical units display art to healp patients feel better, Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel
- Aug 31, 2009 - Dr. Oz on Complementary Medicine: 'Challenge the Status Quo" -- Renowned Surgeon on the Healing Power of Song, Aromatherapy, Meditation and More, ABC Good Morning America
- February 13, 2009 - Art Therapy Helps Breast Cancer Patients, MSNBC
- February 9, 2009 - Studies Find Music Able to Cue Memories by Matthew Wendling, Daily Vidette
- January 28, 2009 - Study: Music Improves Cardiovascular Health, ABC
- October 15, 2008 - Understanding the Power of Music by Robin Lloyd, MSNBC
- September 7, 2008 - Hearing the Music, Healing the Brain by Matthew Shulman, Denverpost.com
Additional articles can be found at The Society for Arts in Healthcare.
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| The story behind Merina Healing Arts ... |
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A Healing Journey
I experienced the healing power of the arts when my father was hospitalized, and later, during my mother's hospital stay following heart surgery. These were emotionally difficult times and the comfort I found in the arts inspired me to establish "Merina Healing Arts" (MHA), named in honor and memory of my parents, Catalino & Maria Merina.
Through MHA, my vision is to enable art resources to be accessible and available for the benefit of hospitalized patients and their loved ones, so they, too, may find peace and comfort as I did during my hour of need. With your generous support, "Merina Healing Arts" will continue to provide renewed strength, peace and comfort to patients and families throughout their healing journey.
~ Vicky Jekich, Founder, Merina Healing Arts
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A Reflection...
It was the fifth day of her hospitalization and we hadn’t had much sleep. Initial hopes for recovery dimmed and now, the look on her doctor’s face conveyed the sad reality.
We looked to each other for strength and courage, and also found comfort in prayer and in:
~ the quiet of the chapel;
~ the meditative songs playing from the lobby piano;
~ the private thoughts captured on pieces of paper;
~ the flowing sounds of the outdoor water-garden;
~ the cadence of her breathing as we gathered around her bedside.
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SUPPORT
The hospitalization of a family member or friend is an experience that we may face—sometimes the circumstances are expected and we have time to prepare, while others are sudden and unforeseen. Each experience brings with it a set of challenges and situations that task our emotional strength. As our family coped with our mother’s hospitalization, and that of our father four years earlier, we were lucky to have support – from the people around us, to the resources made available to us to deal with the physical and emotional challenges that came our way.
INSPIRATION
The highs and lows we face during a hospital stay, and the availability of healing environments provided the motivation behind the creation of “Merina Healing Arts." Our personal experiences inspired the development of meaningful resources, much like those we utilized during our own time of need, so that others could find similar comfort during their hospitalization. Our hope in establishing “Merina Healing Arts” is to help others cope and manage through their own personal journey through pain, fear, anxiety and faith while they or their loved one is hospitalized.
FOCUS ON HEALING
“Merina Healing Arts” was established to provide support to patients, their families and caregivers through specific art programs and healing environments. Whether that source of comfort is found in visual art, music, journaling or nature, the emphasis of “Merina Healing Arts ” is to help patients and their loved ones cope and be comforted during the hospital stay.
A HEALING JOURNEY
The loss of our parents was the catalyst from which “Merina Healing Arts" evolved. This project is an ongoing healing journey and also serves as a tribute to Catalino & Maria Merina and others who continue to inspire us to live a life of goodness, unconditional love, and to extend a hand to those in need.
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