FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Andy LaGuardia
WMCHealth
(914) 493-6532
andrew.laguardia@wmchealth.org
Special Opening of ‘The Children's Gallery' Showcases Works of Brittany Beckmann and Other Young Artists
VALHALLA, N.Y. (June 7, 2016) – During many lengthy stays at Maria Fareri Children's Hospital, Brittany Beckmann gained tremendous joy and comfort from her participation in the hospital's art therapy program, and she became close with many of the doctors, nurses, staff members and patients.
On Friday, June 3, Brittany's family and hospital officials ensured that Brittany's spirit – and the artwork of pediatric patients – would always be on display. Together, they unveiled "The Children's Gallery," a permanent display of children's art dedicated in honor of Brittany, a resident of Forestburgh and a graduate of Monticello High School who was 24 when she lost her battle with leukemia in 2014.
Brittany's family underwrote the creation of The Children's Gallery in appreciation of the expert and compassionate care she received at Maria Fareri Children's Hospital, a member of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network and the children's hospital of the Hudson Valley and Fairfield County. Brittany was 16 when she first became a patient at the hospital. She went on to graduate from SUNY Cortland with a bachelor's degree in kinesiology, even as she received treatment.
"The program was really therapeutic for her," said Kelly Carpinone, Brittany's mother, who was among several family members who attended the dedication. "She enjoyed it so much. Even during the periods when she was in isolation, they would bring an easel into her room. And her paintings really showed how she was feeling."
Artwork from Brittany and other Maria Fareri Children's Hospital patients was on display Friday, with new works to be rotated in seasonally. Several of the young artists and their families attended the dedication.
Among the hospital staff members who attended Friday's event was Maria Fareri Children's Hospital's board certified art therapist, Gabrielle Grimaldi Bellettieri, MA, ATR-BC, LCAT,CGP who launched the art therapy program in 2006. Bellettieri was the driving force behind the creation of the gallery, and she will act as its curator.
"So many of us became close with Brittany during her time here," Bellettieri said. "She went through so much, but she always had a positive outlook. The art therapy program was really a great way for her to express herself and how she was feeling. And she was like a mentor to a lot of the patients. Since she was older than most of them, she took them under her wing, and they really looked up to her."
The gallery also features a plaque noting Brittany's impact as "a warm and talented artist who brought laughter and joy to all she met." It includes a quote from Brittany that provides a window into her soul.
"Every hardship is an opportunity for growth and knowledge," it reads. "Embrace every experience & look on the bright side. Everything happens for a reason. There's a plan for you! Follow it."
About Maria Fareri Children's Hospital, a Member of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network
Maria Fareri Children's Hospital is the children's hospital for New York's Hudson Valley region and Fairfield County, Connecticut. Located in Valhalla, NY, this 136-bed advanced pediatrics facility cares for the region's most seriously ill and injured children including those in need of cardiac surgery, neurosurgery, hematology and oncology treatments, organ transplants and other specialty pediatric services. Maria Fareri Children's Hospital is also home to the area's only Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Level I pediatric trauma and burn care programs and its Regional Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. For more information on Maria Fareri Children's Hospital, interested parties can visit www.WestchesterMedicalCenter.org/MFCH or follow the hospital at www.Facebook.com/MFCHatWMC and www.Twitter.com/MFCHatWMC.
About Westchester Medical Center Health Network
The Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth) is a 1,700-bed healthcare system headquartered in Valhalla, New York, with 10 hospitals on eight campuses spanning 6,200 square miles of the Hudson Valley. WMCHealth employs more than 12,000 people and has nearly 3,000 attending physicians. From Level 1, Level 2 and Pediatric Trauma Centers, the region's only acute care children's hospital, an academic medical center, several community hospitals, dozens of specialized institutes and centers, skilled nursing, assisted living facilities, homecare services and one of the largest mental health systems in New York State, today WMCHealth is the pre-eminent provider of integrated healthcare in the Hudson Valley. For more information about WMCHealth, visit www.WMCHealth.org.
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