Hannah's Room

This weekend The Pattyn Project returned to the hospital after a long winter break. The smile that lit up 17 year- old Hannah's face was enough to keep us all warm through the rest of this chilly winter season. Hannah has faced a long road of difficult times growing up with Crohn’s Disease, an auto immune disorder that effects the body's digestive tract. After coming in for a surgery in August, Hannah encountered complications that quickly landed her back in the hospital, where she has remained since then. Hannah is fortunate to have the support of her parents, step parents, two brothers, and best friends Christie and Russell who visit regularly. Yet, being away from home and her own space takes its toll, as it would on any one. 

We were thrilled when Hannah was referred to us. Upon meeting her, we soon discovered her interest in swimming, mythology, puzzles, and dogs. During her stay in the hospital, Hannah has been visited by many dogs whose pictures hang on her walls alongside with Duke her pet English Mastiff. She enjoys completing puzzles to pass the time in the hospital, particularly the ones she can color herself allowing her to express her artistic side. After talking with Hannah, we decided that we wanted to give her room a sense of serenity and brighten it up a bit with her favorite color yellow. 

When we arrived at the hospital, Hannah was waiting in the lobby. She opted for the surprise reveal option which we absolutely loved doing, especially for our older patients! First, we transformed her bed with a gray striped comforter. We wove her two favorite colors throughout the room, incorporating them into her new flower pillow sham, a soft, furry body pillow and multiple accent throw pillows. We brought her a card table to complete her puzzles on, as well as a cool matt designed to roll up puzzles you are working on without losing your progress. We brightened up her room with a few well-placed dog canvases, and next to her bed we added a light that plays music and spins slowly, reflecting calming color displays on the ceiling. We hung yellow tulle adorned with silk flowers over her window and placed a picture board in the window sill, for her to fill up with photos of family and friends. Three dimensional golden butterflies scattered throughout the room brought in the soothing sense of nature, and a sign with her name and flowers that mimicked the ones on her pillows added some additional color. We provided her with a basket to store her blankets and a soft black butterfly chair to relax in while she reads or visits with company. Lastly, we gave her an iTunes gift card, so she could purchase some new music to listen to while she tackles the new reflective castle puzzle we chose for her. 

When she opened the door to take in her new space, Hannah’s smile was contagious… and it even made us consider cutting her some slack for being a Ravens fan...well almost! Hannah's quite demeanor and bright smile made transforming her room an absolute pleasure for all of us. Thank you to everyone who has shown us ongoing support, as well as new friends who have come alongside of us, as we pursue this passion. We couldn’t do it without you! We hope you all will continue to consider donating to this special cause, so we can continue to lift the spirits of kind, deserving souls like Hannah. We ask that you all keep our latest friend and her family in your thoughts and prayers during the remainder of her stay in the hospital, as we hope for persistent progress, and added comfort on her journey to a hopeful recovery. Thank You, Hannah!