BAY, Wis. (WBAY) – Throughout our neighborhood, you’ll discover unsung heroes giving of their time, expertise and treasures to make Northeast Wisconsin a fantastic place to dwell. WBAY is worked up to start a brand new collection that can give devoted volunteers and excellent organizations the additional recognition they deserve. It’s referred to as WBAY Cares, and it’ll air on the primary Tuesday of each month on Motion 2 Information at 6:00.
In our first WBAY Cares story, Stacy Engebretson shines a highlight on the BEAM Workforce and the way they’re making a constructive distinction within the lives of sufferers dealing with a tough analysis.
BEAM is an acronym. It stands for Bellin Expressive Arts in Medication. The volunteer-driven program at Bellin Well being goals to enhance the bodily and emotional well-being of most cancers sufferers and others by way of the therapeutic energy of artwork and music.
Peggy Gauthier devoted 50 years of her life to serving to others as a registered nurse at Bellin Well being. In 2021, as she explains it, she sadly moved to the opposite facet of the chart.
“Listening to the most cancers analysis was traumatic,” stated Peggy. “Your thoughts, while you’re on chemotherapy and going by way of this, your thoughts wanders to locations the place perhaps it’s not essentially the most wholesome for you.”
Peggy discovered consolation by way of the Bellin Expressive Arts in Medication, or BEAM, program.
“It has been confirmed that doing any kind of artistic exercise will decrease your nervousness and stress. It would deliver you slightly peace and pleasure and it’ll get your thoughts off all of your different junk for some time,” stated Amy Eliason, BEAM coordinator. “It additionally lowers their ache. It’s confirmed, as a result of they’re not targeted on their ache whereas they’re engaged on a artistic venture.”
By means of BEAM, sufferers obtain free make-and-take craft kits and musicians play calming music contained in the well being care heart. Eliason, who’s a most cancers survivor herself, additionally paints stunning paintings contained in the infusion room to assuage sufferers throughout chemotherapy remedies.
“I might simply watch her after which I’d go to sleep. It was nice. Nice. I cherished it,” Peggy stated.
Thirty-two volunteers make up the award-winning BEAM Workforce.
“I’m very grateful for them. They’re all fantastic individuals coming in and generously donating their time and their expertise and their emotion, as a result of you recognize we sit and chat with quite a lot of sufferers,” Eliason defined.
Ann Pillsbury, who beat breast most cancers, is one in all them.
“I love to do artful issues, so I take pleasure in placing the kits collectively.”
Volunteering is her method of paying it ahead.
“You understand, you’re feeling so unhealthy for a number of the sufferers, however a few of them are so pleased and so grateful. They’ll say, ‘Thanks for all you do’ and ‘You accomplish that a lot,’” Pillsbury stated. “It’s simply very rewarding and it makes you’re feeling good.”
Now disease-free and feeling good, Peggy is giving again as properly to move on the therapeutic energy of artwork and positivity to her fellow most cancers warriors.
“You simply want some encouragement, and I feel this program is superior for that.”
BEAM additionally presents wood signal workshops and walk-in artwork studio hours for sufferers and their family members to create collectively. They get native colleges and golf equipment concerned with making month-to-month reveals as properly. Click on right here to study extra about BEAM.
Are you aware somebody who you suppose deserves some additional recognition? Please inform us about them. Electronic mail us at wbaycares@wbay.com, and we could characteristic that individual or group in our subsequent WBAY Cares report.
Our first “WBAY Cares” report encompasses a volunteer-driven program serving to most cancers sufferers overlook their issues for a short time with crafts and music
Copyright 2023 WBAY. All rights reserved.