Brighter Walls Help Patients Heal

Stencils Helps Brighten The El Camino Hospital With Rooms That Rock 4 Chemo!

Good morning, my DIY stencil fans! Did you enjoy our garden stroll on yesterday’s blog post?  Cutting Edge Stencils thought you would!  There’s something peaceful and serene about a walk through a beautiful garden.  That reminds us of Rooms That Rock 4 Chemo, an organization that is on a constant quest to bring serenity to sterile and unimaginative chemotherapy treatment centers.

What is “Rooms That Rock 4 Chemo”?

Rooms That Rock 4 Chemo is a really amazing non-profit organization that is near and dear to our hearts.  It is devoted to creating positive and uplifting spaces in hospital centers that provide chemotherapy treatment.  It uses local interior designers to help transform drab and often sterile spaces into hopeful, vibrant, and peaceful environments using our donated stencils.  See we told you it was right up our alley!  Here is a recent video they put together about the El Camino Hospital project.

El Camino Hospital, Mountain View CA

We’d like you to meet Linda Cavanaugh and her son. Linda’s husband was diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2010.  Although it wasn’t the closest hospital to their home, the couple chose El Camino Hospital as their treatment center.  The hospital and its physicians, especially Dr. Shane Dormady, have an amazing reputation. The family spent many hours receiving treatment at El Camino.  Her husband, Ken, once commented that the rooms could be a little nicer since they seemed to be spending so much time in them. Linda agreed.

Then one day, Linda discovered Rooms that Rock 4 Chemo and she vowed that she would brighten the treatment rooms at El Camino in Ken’s honor.  When the project was given the green light, Linda was overjoyed.  She wanted to make sure the designs of the rooms helped put people at ease while receiving their treatments.  Most importantly, she wanted to make it a room that Ken would have liked to be in. On Saturday, August 3rd, 25 volunteers joined together to transform four exam rooms and the nurses’ break room at El Camino Hospital Chemotherapy Center in Mountain View, California.

Blue was his favorite color, so she selected a vibrant shade to paint in one of the treatment rooms.

When it came time for choosing a stencil for the space, Linda selected the Beautiful Birches and Birch Forest Allover patterns.  The serene, nature-inspired tree stencils were a nostalgic trip down memory lane because the couple grew up in Michigan together.

She has been thrilled with the outcome of the redesign and so grateful for the volunteers that helped transform the spaces using stencils.

All four rooms feature the Birch Forest Allover Stencil in colorful hues, just like the room shown below.

The project was a huge success and after viewing the stenciling, Dr. Shane Dormady said, “There are many tears shed in these rooms and much joyful news as well. These rooms will make the harsh news easier, and the joyful news more joyful.”

Linda says, ” Anyone that knows Ken will see this room and know his spirit is reflected here.  This room will feel quiet, peaceful, restful, and serene just like Ken.”  We’re so happy that we could be a part of this amazing transformation.