About Us

A Room to Heal, Inc. is the “brain child” of two local mothers who wanted to make a difference in our local community. One of the mothers, whose son had leukemia and subsequently a bone marrow transplant, was exposed to a world many do not often see. Both women, very involved in their community and both exposed to a wealth of resources, felt the passion to create this organization to help those in need: both the families/caregivers and the child who is suffering from a critical illness.

The design of an environment can have a therapeutic effect on a sick child. Studies clearly show that a whole range of environmental factors – including lighting, color, aroma, views, art, scale, proportion, sound, texture and materials - have a powerful healing and therapeutic effect on patients. Healing environments may lead to: faster patient recoveries, reduced pain, fewer cases of infection, greater patient satisfaction, and reduced stress levels among parents/ caregivers. Good environments make us feel better, and feeling better is the key to getting better.

The kick-off event began in December 2005 with a fundraising luncheon to share the idea of the project. Over 40 local women attended, many giving donations and signing up to be involved. From that luncheon a board was created with seven people meeting every few weeks to develop the organization, including creating a referral process, mailing list, fundraising, promotional materials, etc. In 2006, A Room to Heal became incorporated and obtained its  501c3 non-profit status.

The board created a goal for 2006 to create healing environments at the homes of at least 6 children. We are also working with local businesses and organizations to perhaps sponsor a room: generating the volunteers & the funds on their own. This past year, we have worked with two incredibly giving local agencies:  Professional Home Care & Twin Tier Health and Excellus Blue Cross/ Blue Shield.  They gathered both volunteers and raised the fund necessary to complete two projects in the homes of critically ill children in our community.

We forsee that each room will take between 1-2 weeks to complete (includes prep time): each situation will be different and individualized for the child. For instance, if a child is handicapped, if a child needs a particular filter system in his room (HEPA filtered), etc. At this time, we have 125 individuals listed as part of our volunteer base for A Room to Heal, Inc. In addition, we will be asking the families to supply us with their own “connections” to their local church, neighbors, family, etc. to help with raising funds and solicit volunteers to help with the room.

The activities of this project will include:

1. A meeting with the family and child in their home to identify which room will be transformed into a healing environment. Also, at that time, we will identify the child’s likes, what their health needs are, and obtain specifics about the room.
2. We will gather a professional “team” together to design the room (may need to consult with the child’s doctor).
3. Generate a team of volunteers (including trades people and friends) to re-create the room.