Community volunteer decorates patient wheelchairs

When Tasneem Salah reached out to The CARE Project at UC Davis Health, she wanted to use her artistic abilities to spread messages of hope and positivity to patients.

“My recent artworks have two different forms, and they aim on showing that things change when we change the way we look at them,” Salah said. “For example, an artwork of a penguin changes to a horse when looked at upside down.”

Salah pitched her idea to The CARE Project, specifically wanting to try the concept out on patient wheelchairs.

“Not only to add artistic look and feel to the wheelchair, but also to remind patients that nothing remains constant. Everything changes and is in a state of transformation, as long as we are willing to believe, work hard and stay hopeful,” she said.

The CARE Project team greenlit the idea immediately, and Salah has already created her first wheelchair art piece for a patient in the Rehabilitation Department.

“I am so grateful to have seen it used by one of the talented patients, and I’m looking forward to having more of (the decorated wheelchairs) used by more patients,” Salah said.

About The CARE Project

It the goal of The CARE Project to provide direct patient-care interdisciplinary services through The Creative Arts and Recreation Therapy Department. We aim to enhance the healthcare environment and aid in the healing and recovery for all patients. We support patients, their families, and caregivers in their journey to wellness and healing. The CARE Project provides opportunities for self-expression, relaxation, and recreation; promoting independence and improving quality of life through evidenced-based clinical interventions and therapeutic activities.