Helping to heal with music and art

THERE ARE DOZENS OF REASONS WE LISTEN TO MUSIC.ONE OF THEM IS CHRIS: THERE ARE DOZENS OF REASONS WE LISTEN TO MUSIC. ONE OF THEM IS BECAUSE IT CAN BE THAT'S THE GOAL OF THE NEW CREATIVE AND EXPRESSIVE ARTS THERAPY ROOM AT UPMC CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL. PITTSBURGH'S ACTION NEWS 4 ANCHOR JANELLE HALL GIVES US AN EXCLUSIVE LOOK AT HOW THE SPACE IS OFFERING HELP TO PATIENTS AND KEEPING THE MEMORY OF A LOCAL 3-YEAR-OLD GIRL ALIV REPORTER: THIS IS AN EXCLUSIVE LOOK. >> YOU WANT TO SEE THE REST OF IT? LET'S GO! REPORTER: INSIDE THE NEW CREATIVE AND EXPRESS I EVER ARTS ETHAN: ROOM. -- THERAPY ROOM. THIS TEAM CALLS IT A MASTERPIECE OF HOPE HELPING CHILDREN COMBAT PAIN, TRAUMA AND ANXIETY. >> I WAS IN THE HOSPITAL FOR 50-PLUS DAYS. REPORTER: HE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH ART AND MUSIC PLAYED A HUGE PART OF HER RECOVERY. >> MUSIC WAS A BIG PART OF MY LIFE HERE. KATELYN TAUGHT ME HOW TO DO SOME ART THINGS AND IT MADE ME FEEL BETTER AND I FEEL LIKE I CAN EXPRESS MYSELF. >> I WAS PRETTY SURPRISED. REPORTER: THIS 12 IS A CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL VETERAN DURING HER FOUR ORGAN TRANS PLANTATION. >> MUSIC HELPS ME FEEL BETTER. WHENEVER I'M NOT FEELING OK OR I LIKE TO GO TO THE PLAY ROOM AND DO THAT STUFF. >> MUSIC IS A BIG PART OF HIM. REPORTER: JIMMY WENT VIRAL FOR THIS VIDEO OF HIM DANCING HIS WAY IN AND OUT OF HIS LAST CREARN TREATMENT. >> MUSIC HAS A WAY O OF OF GETTING TO PARTS WE CAN'T REACH. JIMMY CAN FEEL IT INSIDE OF HIM. HELPS DISTRACT FROM ALL THE OTHER THINGS IN LYE LIFE AND ALLOWS HIM TO STAY IN THE MOMENT. >> HE PROUDLY RANG THAT BELL, CELEBRATING FOR MORE THAN FIVE YEARS. >> THE MUSIC INSPIRED HIM THAT GOT HIM UP AND MOVING. THERE IS NO WAY TO DESCRIBE HOW POWERFUL MUSIC IS BUT IT GETS TO EVERY PART OF YOU. IT HELPED HIM HEAL IN MILLONS OF WAYS. >> IT TRULY INSTILLS HOPE. THAT IS OUR GOAL TO USE MUSIC AND ART THERAPY. >> IT IS GREAT TO SEE HIM SMILE AND LAUGH. FOR THEM TO BE KIDS. IT IS JUST SPECIAL. REPORTER: A SPECIAL REMINDER OF THE CENTER NAMED IN HONOR OF 3-YEAR-OLD NORA KAUFMAN OF SOMERSET COUNTY WHO BATTLED A BRAIN TUMOR AND DIED OF KNEW POSTSEASONIA. >> -- NEW MONIA. -- I THINK WE SEE IT HERE TOO IN THAT EVERYTHING GETS TO SEE

One year after the death of a 3-year-old girl from Somerset County, her family is pushing to keep her memory alive at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh through the Nora Grace Kaufman Center for Creative Arts Therapy.The therapy room is a place where young patients can go to escape their hospital rooms for awhile and receive therapy through art and music. The team at UPMC calls it a "masterpiece of hope" for the way it helps children combating pain, trauma and anxiety."Music has a way of getting to parts we can't reach," Lacie Spagnolo, the mother of a boy who had a viral video of him ringing a bell after his final cancer treatment, said. "It helps distract him from all of the other things in his life."Kory Antonacci, the coordinator for Creative Expressive Arts Therapy, said the goal of the therapy is to instill hope in the patients."It's really special for us to see the kids in this way," Jordan Kaufman, father of Nora Grace Kaufman, said. "For them to be kids, it's just special."

PITTSBURGH —

The therapy room is a place where young patients can go to escape their hospital rooms for awhile and receive therapy through art and music. The team at UPMC calls it a "masterpiece of hope" for the way it helps children combating pain, trauma and anxiety.

"Music has a way of getting to parts we can't reach," Lacie Spagnolo, the mother of a boy who had a viral video of him ringing a bell after his final cancer treatment, said. "It helps distract him from all of the other things in his life."

Kory Antonacci, the coordinator for Creative Expressive Arts Therapy, said the goal of the therapy is to instill hope in the patients.

"It's really special for us to see the kids in this way," Jordan Kaufman, father of Nora Grace Kaufman, said. "For them to be kids, it's just special."

Helping to heal with music and art

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