Bellevue Hospital, Manhattan
Child & Adolescent Inpatient Psychiatric UnitLaurena Rollocks, Supervising Children’s Counselor
During the play, there are kids who are not natural leaders, but they try with some success to take on such roles. And because of something said or donlater in teh day, we know it’s learned directly from OMB -- what they have experienced during a performance.
Staff has the opportunity to see different dimensions of their patients. Sometimes unknown information has been disclosed. e.g.: One kid revealed that he was afraid of the shower. Things became clearer for staff after that, allowing us to better help him deal with his fears.
After the show, one child said, ‘This was the best day in my life!
SUNY Downstate, Brooklyn, December 2008Lisa Smith, Child Life Director
One patient in particular who lives at our facility, age 3, became such an OMB groupie. She was really able to participate and sings “I believe…” all week long.”
Katia Chenet Casimir, Child Life Specialist
After each play, the children usually leave the room with a better spirit, more relaxed that the time they came.
A parent of a patient
After each play, I feel like a new person who’s ready to face life. This show helps me gain my sense of humor again.
Lauren Whitaker, Former Director of Child Life
One of the children asked why they didn’t see the actors in movies. I explained that they did live theatre. Live theatre, for most of the children, was something they had never experienced and until now had no concept of.
Brookdale University Hospital, Brooklyn
Michal Ziolkyahu, Drama Therapist
It’s an hour for kids to be kids, instead of survivors. It’s a chance for them to “shine” and “get the spotlight” and to be “stars”.
Mark Beauregard, Creative Arts Therapist
It was wonderful to have parents see their kids in a more “healthy” light, and to model for them how to be more playful with the kids. It helped the kids work out differences. Two kids were able to do a scene together that they had previously been fighting all day.
Shahla Nikporur, MS, DTR, AT
It’s wonderful to see the children that have seen you in other facilities speak fondly of the company. Many of them know the lyrics to the songs as well.
New Alternatives for Children, ManhattanStephanie Gardner, Recreation Case Aide
The performances were also a source of respite for the parents of the children involved. While their child/children attended the group, they were free to rest or pursue any other activity, which is often rare in the hectic life of a parent, let alone the life of a parent involved in the public welfare system.
All of the NAC kids have a great amount of stress in their young lives due to their life circumstances. By participating in OMB workshops, the children are allowed to take a break and escape from their troubles. OMB also enabled the kids to explore their creativity on new levels. Through example and encouragement the children were put at ease and enjoy themselves.
The program provided an interesting opportunity for the children to get away from the social and medical issues that may loom over them in their daily lives. The use of “make believe” brings the children into the narrative so that they are completely immersed in the performance.
Mt. Sinai Hospital, ManhattanParent of a patient
This is the first time he has smiled…since his stay.
Halana Finnie NPP, FNP, Clinical Nurse Manager
Many of our children are from an abusive environment. Seeing a child such as this smiling, moving dancing, playing and having fun is the best medicine. For this brief time, they can forget their problems and just be a kid!
Without question, the children greatly benefit from this creative opportunity! It sparks their imagination, they learn how to laugh and play and move and mostly they have exposure to a program that might not be available to them outside of the hospital. I’ve seen depressed kids laugh and sing; angry kids play with others; and children talk about wanting to get involved in school theatre when they’re discharged
Doran Ricks, Clinical Nurse Manager
Many of our patients don’t get many positive childhood outlets in their lives. They are often exposed to very stressful intense environments. OMB creates a safe and enjoyable mode of expression through play. It re-enforces the importance of play and imagination in health child development.
St. Vincent’s Hospital, Manhattan
Child and Adolescent Inpatient Psychiatric Unitc
Barbara McKechnie, LCAT, RDT, Drama Therapist
OMB brings warmth, creativity, hope and pleasure to our unit. Our children are given an opportunity to express themselves safely, learn new skills, and develop more confidence. It is most significant that this happens at a time when many of them feel abandoned and alone. Having others come in and show they care means a lot; having fun as a child is essential.Many (or all) of the stories symbolically addressed the treatment issues that were being addressed in the children’s therapy. With the aesthetic distance of the performance, children could practice new ways of being in the world, seeing a problem they might have, and find new ways to address old problems.
One time that was especially poignant was when telling the story of the dark (depressed) cloud covering Iceland, with an audience of mostly depressed children. The children seemed to truly gain a sense of empowerment by blowing the cloud away. At the end of the show, their faces were brighter and all had smiles
At one of the last performances, there was a girl newly admitted. She had been crying and opposing since her admission earlier that day. She spoke only Spanish making it harder for us to reach her. OMB dressed her up as a princess (head to toe) and sat her in the front row and she smiled and laughed for the entire show, even though she understood little. Afterwards she ran up and hugged Terri, one of the OMB actors.
Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, BronxLindsay Davis MS, CCLS, Child Life Department
We always have a crowd of parents and staff outside the playroom, looking in to see what is going on and I think it is so great for them to see the kids laughing, having fun and participating – acting like kids and not just patients. In the same vein it gives our patients time away from procedures & worries of the hospital, to relax and interact with the other kids.
Briana Hertz, Child Life Specialist
OMB would work so well with the children. They were very aware of different medical needs and would work around that with props so no one would be left out. A lot of children that were very shy really came out during these shows. They would participate and laugh! I honestly believe that they would forget they were in the hospital for the hour.
Woodhull Medical and Mental Health Hospital, BrooklynDeborah Douek, Asst. Director Pediatrics/Child Life Program
OMB is an extremely therapeutic experience. Patients that have been stuck by needles, stuck in bed, came alive during the performance. Luis is a 9 year old diabetic with multiple hospital admissions. And he repeated the works of Sista “huh. Huh. Huh,” for days after Only Make Believe performed Tuff Dum E. It was one of the things he held onto during that long admission. Staff could not wait for shows.
Throughout the rest of the week one could hear the clinical staff quietly sing the OMB theme song. Watching Doctors sit side by side next to the nurses getting silly in parts of the shows was a big release for the patients and staff. It helped the patients to see the doctors in a different light.
Many parents were just as excited during the shows. This provided them an opportunity to let loose and spend positive quality time during the hospital experience rather than just accompanying their kids through the bad times.
If you have a story to tell about your experience with Only Make Believe, please use the space below:
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