DANVILLE, Pa. — Most times before and after surgery, you're lying in a hospital bed looking up at the ceiling, and there's not much to see. But that is no longer the case at Geisinger Medical Center's pediatric pre-op and post-op suite. The hospital near Danville joined forces with students from Danville Area High School.
"I said, 'Would you be interested in painting ceiling tiles for us if we could get them from our facilities department?'" Geisinger's Tabitha White asked.
The results are bright and colorful. Students painted nearly 40 ceiling tiles for patients to look at while they lie in bed.
"It's nice to know that kids going through a scary thing will have a little bit of something to look to so it's not so dull or boring or scary for them," Anna Maffei said.
"It's really awesome knowing that I can brighten someone's day and help out in the slightest way by doing something that I love," Kaitlyn Gabel said.
This is where patients under the age of 18 come before and after surgery. Doctors say the artwork makes this place more child-friendly.
"And an element of distraction if you will to the process that they go through for surgery," Dr. Alf Kennedy said.
"They come into a room and it's bright colors. They look on the ceiling and it's like home," White said.
"This is a lot to give back. This is time and talent. I'm so proud of our high school students," Dr. Frank Maffei, chairman of pediatrics at Janet Weis Children's Hospital said.
The students have been working on the ceiling tiles for about six months.
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