Musicians from Starting Arts, a San Jose nonprofit that provides arts education to Bay Area students, played to a special audience Aug. 9 when they performed for residents of a Campbell-based inpatient facility for severely ill or catastrophically injured children.
Children’s Healthcare Organization of Northern California is near the office of Starting Arts board member Dr. Amelia Hausauer, a dermatologist with Aesthetx in Campbell. Hausauer said the facility had long intrigued her. In fact, the performance marked the beginning of what Hausauer hopes will be an ongoing partnership.
“The arts have a profound ability to transcend human pain and suffering,” Hausauer said in a statement. “They are a way of expression and healing, especially in children who have fewer ways to communicate. It’s immensely gratifying to be part of such a project.”
Children’s Healthcare Organization activity director Kathleen Tuckness also expressed gratitude for the performance and the possibility of more to come.
“Starting Arts is bringing us a professional experience that’s not usually accessible to our kids,” Tuckness said. “Music, art and dance are things all of our patients–and their families–can enjoy.”
Hausauer herself is no stranger to the healing power of the arts. Growing up in the North Berkeley Hills, she watched her father persevere despite suffering from the life-alerting effects of polio he had contracted as a child. His determination inspired her as a young dancer with the Oakland Ballet.
“One of the things we talked about is that there weren’t enough ways to explore the outside world when you’re in and out of the hospital,” Hausauer said at the event. “I wanted to try to bring my love of performing to that environment.”
Starting Arts Executive Director Ann Watts said in a statement that Hausauer’s efforts to forge a partnership with Children’s Healthcare Organization are in keeping with the nonprofit’s goals. “Her efforts embody our mission: making the healing power of the arts accessible to all children.”
Children’s Healthcare Organization is holding a fundraiser to renovate its playground. For more information and to donate, visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/choncs-playground-fundraiser.