BOGALUSA, La. — It started as a simple idea, a way to bring Christmas joy to COVID ICU patients at Our Lady of the Angels Hospital in Bogalusa.
“I’ve gotten so much more attention from it than I thought I would,” said ICU nurse Caitlyn Meyerchick.
Meyerchick led the charge, adding festive color and familiar faces for patients who are isolated from friends and family.
“I was the lucky painter that did the work,” said Meyerchick. “I did it in one night.”
Putting her high school talented art classes to use, Meyerchick got to work, turning outside walls of patient rooms into holiday murals. Scenes like Santa, a gingerbread man and a manager scene now makeup the new art.
“When everything was done and the patients would wake up, their nurses would pull back the curtains and let them see it and it was really awesome,” said Meyerchick. “We got more smiles than I thought we would have gotten.”
Those smiles also came from co-workers. It’s a bit of much needed cheer after nearly a year of facing a pandemic head on.
“Not only is it physically and mentally exhausting, it’s been emotionally exhausting,” said Meyerchick. “Nobody knew what we were going into when we started all this.”
In her five years at the hospital, Meyerchick says caring for patients has never been so bonding.
“We’ve had laughs, we’ve had tears. We’ve shared just about any emotion you can possibly think of with all these patients,” said Meyerchick.
Now, she’s sharing her art, hoping it helps to heal.
“We really hope that we can express any type of happiness to get them through this rough time and get them back home,” said Meyerchick.
