2014-06

Working to bring
healing
If you say “voluntary work” to many
people it conjures up a picture of a
19th century Lady Bountiful taking
bread to the poor.
Sadly, it seems that in the 21st century,
the poor, once again, need to be fed by
charity. And volunteers still fill the gaps
with services the State does not provide
– for example lifeboats, The Samaritans,
WRVS, guide and support dogs and
many others.
But voluntary work is not only about
essential services, it also provides the
icing on the cake. For example, you can
drive a real steam train on a heritage
railway line bringing the magic of a
bygone era to a new generation.
I think of my own voluntary role as icing
on the cake. I teach art in a stroke unit.
As a stroke survivor myself, I feel I am
uniquely qualified for this.
Following a stroke the world seems to
be smashed into a thousand fragments,
none of which fit together. The damaged
brain is unable to process the huge
amount of information which daily life
pours into it, resulting in frustration
and often depression. Scientists have
now found that art has a calming and
therapeutic effect following stroke, but
I have to say, I am not an art therapist
– that’s for professionals – my job is to
facilitate, to teach and to adapt tools and
techniques to individual abilities. It seems
to work as at least two of my students
have gone on to exhibit at the Great
Sheffield Art Show. A few cases stick in
my mind where I like to think art made a
contribution to recovery. One was a vicar,
let’s call him Steven. Steven had a rightsided
paralysis, could not read or write
and could speak only two words – ‘yes’
and, perhaps appropriately, ‘God’.
One day he was finishing a painting
of sheep in a field. The sheep had been
masked and painted over. As he rubbed
off the masking fluid revealing the sheep,
he exclaimed “Ah, sheep”. “Yes”, I said,
“and what is this?” “Aha, the gate,”
came the reply. Steven had indeed
found the gate and was able, through
speech therapy, to gradually regain his
communication skills.
Another lady, let’s call her Sally, had
suffered a massive brain hemorrhage
and was awaiting a place in a nursing
home for people with dementia. Vocally
she was completely silent and did not
communicate in any way. Her face was
blank and her eyes unfocused. She
spent all day and much of the night
pacing the corridors and opening doors
and cupboards as if endlessly searching
for something. Because she might
have hurt herself or others she had to
be constantly supervised and I was
asked if I could occupy her for half an
hour to give staff a break. I agreed, with
misgivings, and was surprised when she
concentrated for nearly 20 minutes to
produce a passable painting. Over the
next four weeks she gradually improved
her skills and concentration. On the fifth
week I found her apparently reading
a magazine. “Would you like to paint,
Sally?” I asked, “No thank you,” came
the reply, “I’ve booked a space on the
computer for you see I’d like to go back
to work if I can.” I was knocked sideways.
“But Sally, last week you couldn’t talk.
What happened?” She smiled: “It was
really strange, I was just looking in my
wardrobe for my clothes and suddenly
everything came back to me – just like
that.”
So Sally had opened her wardrobe
and found not Narnia but her own world
restored. Of course I do not claim that
art brings about miracle cures for stroke.
Lives are saved by the dedicated care of
doctors, nurses and therapists on stroke
units throughout the country. However, I
do know that art and music made a huge
contribution to my own healing.
For while a stroke closes many doors
it can also open to others to worlds we
never knew existed.
Sylvia Bennett
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St Chad’s Church, Linden Avenue, Woodseats
Church Office: 9 Linden Avenue, Sheffield S8 0GA
Tel: (0114) 274 5086
email: office@stchads.org
St Chad’s Church, Linden Avenue, Woodseats
Page 14 website: www.stchads.org
Church Office: 9 Linden Avenue, Sheffield S8 0GA
Page 15
Tel: (0114) 274 5086
email: office@stchads.org
website: www.stchads.org