Programs
Art Therapy Program – In 2017, the Harrison’s Heroes Art Studio opened in Texas Children’s Medical Center. This art studio allows patients to safely express themselves and create positive memories. Furthermore, terminal care patients have the ability to create lasting pieces of legacy art.
Thanks to the Children’s Fund and Charity Guild of Catholic Women, we were able to build another art studio complete with art carts, a 3D printer, and a Glowforge at Texas Children’s Woodlands campus. These items will continue to support and grow the art therapy program. This second art studio along with the other items will allow patients to safely express themselves and create positive memories. Healing through art.
Quarterly, we team up with the art therapists to bring special events to the patients. These events coincide with certain therapies the staff are currently working on in-studio. Through art, patients learn how to heal.
Hearts of Hope Quilt: The “Hearts of Hope” quilt was a year-long project that was created by Texas Children’s patients. The children drew what the word “hope” meant to them; their depictions were then made into a quilt in 2022, and now the quilt proudly hangs in the Heart Center. This art therapy project served to instill hope for families, while fostering a strong sense of community, unity, and connection within the hospital environment. It was quilted by Jaylyn Snider of Tea Time Quilting, and hearts were embroidered by Perfect Touch and Such.
Craft Fest Program - The Craft Fest program started in 2016 and is held weekly at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital. Harrison’s Heroes is committed to provide the hospital with seasonal crafts and supplies that allow patients to come to a safe space and work on crafts that interest them or take part in seasonal crafts.
Birthday Box Program – The birthday box program is an annual program. When a patient celebrates their birthday in the hospital, they receive a birthday box. There are two age groups: 3-10 and 11 +. The boxes include birthday items to decorate their room, as well as age-appropriate crafts and games to keep them busy on their special day. This program is implemented at Texas Children’s Hospital along with MD Anderson Pediatrics. At MD Anderson Pediatrics, we also support the “birthday cake fund.” This fund allows cakes to be given along with the birthday box.
Facility Dog Program – The facility Dog Program is a program we support. A facility dog is a specially trained dog that partners with a facilitator working in a professional setting, such as a hospital. A facility dog is similar to a therapy dog, but isn’t assigned to assist a specific individual, but rather a facility such as a hospital or school. These dogs undergo a two-year, extensive and specialized training program.
Research shows these dogs can: reduce stress and anxiety, enhance calm and security, ease perception of pain, lower heart rate and blood pressure, improve mood and moral, and build trust and communication in children. We work together with the Child Life Department at Children’s Memorial Hermann to supply the dogs with toys, food, etc.
Spellbound AR:
In 2023, Harrison’s Heroes partnered with SpellBound AR to bring engaging digital experiences and games to Hospitals. In 2024, the Harrison's Heroes GameTime App was created. The app contains augmented reality games and activities designed to engage pediatric patients in distraction therapy, to reduce anxiety and perception of pain. The app is free to Texas hospitals that work with Harrison's Heroes and children and their families can use it on their own devices or on hospital iPads.
SpellBound is an augmented reality patient engagement company based out of Ann Arbor, MI, and has been working with families and hospitals to create better patient experiences since 2016. Modules include GamePack, MRI Simulator, and Digital Art Studio.
GamePack
GamePack is the most recent innovation brought to life by SpellBound AR, who partnered with Harrison’s Heroes to bring joy and ease to the common spaces of hospitals like MD Anderson Pediatrics and Texas Children's. GamePack offers a series of augmented reality games to engage and distract patients, all developed specifically for use by children in healthcare settings. These game-based activities are easy and intuitive for patients and families to use even in high-stress situations like Emergency Department waits and help to reduce anxiety and boost care satisfaction.
MRI Simulator
For today’s generations of digital learners, interactive education technology engages them on deeply familiar ground. Thanks to Harrison’s Heroes, patients at MD Anderson Pediatrics preparing for MRI scans will meet Murray the cat and give him an MRI. This augmented reality education module helps reduce patients' anxiety by setting expectations, hearing the sounds of the MRI, and learning how it's important to be still during their MRI session.
Digital Art Studio
Digital painting brings creativity to life with none of the mess! The SpellBound augmented reality art studio will be enjoyed by patients at both Harrison’s Heroes Art Studios in Texas Children’s Hospital. This program will enhance the art therapy sessions and improve access to creative outlets for all children.
More Projects:
Band Aid Books:
Harrison’s Heroes has provided Children’s Memorial Hermann and MD Anderson Pediatrics band-aid books. These books allow children that are receiving a shot, or other procedures, to focus on what cool band-aid they want instead of focusing on their procedure. Therefore, these books reduce their stress level. In the past, companies like Baker & McKenzie have sponsored band-aid drives for us.
Playtime Therapy Bedsheets:
Harrison’s Heroes has supplied MD Anderson Pediatrics with interactive sheets called Playtime Therapy Bedsheets. These sheets have over 60 fun, interactive games on them. The patients are able to use washable markers, which we provide, and draw on the sheets. This form of play is shown to reduce the stress of a patient. This is a first of its kind in any children’s hospitals in Houston, Texas.
Medi Teddy:
A Medi Teddy is a teddy bear that hides the IV bag for children undergoing different treatments. These are important because they allow the children to relax and feel more comfortable during their procedure. Therefore, the children have a better experience. There are two types of Medi Teddies: plush and wipeable. The plush version can be found at Tirr Memorial Hermann, and the wipeable one is at MD Anderson Pediatrics and Shriners Galveston.
Scrapbook Cart:
Harrison’s Heroes is proud to supply Children’s Memorial Hermann with it’s first ever scrapbook cart. This cart serves several of the different populations that are in the hospital. For example, it services head trauma patients. The patient is able to make a scrapbook in hopes to regain their memory. Also, it is used for young mothers that have lost their newborn baby. Lastly, the cart is used for terminally ill patients to leave behind their legacy.
Toppers Toy and Craft Cart:
In Partnership with Harrison’s Heroes, Toppers Toy and Craft Cart is a special cart that makes it’s rounds throughout Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital to all the floors including impatient, PACU, day surgery, and dialysis throughout each week. It’s filled with arts and crafts, teddy bears, newborn outfits, and other fun age-appropriate activities. This cart is important as it services all patients who are not able to leave their rooms for a number of reasons.
Safe Art Boxes:
Safe Art Boxes serve as a critical tool in working with patients who come to the hospital with higher safety needs; whether it be a medical reason causing decreased cognitive capacity to control their actions, or mental health needs with concern of their regard for personal safety. There are two levels of Safe Art Boxes to encompass the range of higher needs. Both contain materials deemed safe by Children’s Memorial Hermann Behavioral Health committee. These boxes are curated with appropriate, safe items such as puzzles, paints, and crayons. These boxes allow some demonstration of autonomy over their very controlled environment.
Exam Room at Shriners Galveston:
In 2019, Harrison’s Heroes refreshed the treatment room at Shriners in Houston with the help of local artist Kermit Eisenhut and The Houston Junior Forum. Kermit lent his time and talents to create a beautiful and custom mural for the room.
The room was adorned with new furniture as well. In late 2021, Shriners relocated to Galveston, Texas. Harrison’s Heroes is committed to keeping the feel of the exam room the same over in Galveston. We have had parts of the mural moved and relocated along with the exam table. Our goal is to create a more inviting and kid-friendly atmosphere.
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