Dialysis patients give ceiling tiles a touch of art and whimsy

Dialysis patients give ceiling tiles a touch of art and whimsy
Wednesday, January 10, 2007

By David Templeton
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Four hours of utter boredom. Reclined in a chair and hooked to a machine with a spaghetti tangle of tubes coming from the chest or arm, one cannot leave or maneuver much. So people nap, watch television, read books, or when really bored, stare at ceiling panels.

And it's those ceiling panels that are the focus of today's tale.

The people in question undergo dialysis three times a week due to renal failure, which means their kidneys no longer filter blood toxins and eliminate them through urination. So for four or more hours, three times a week, patients must have their blood pumped into a refrigerator-sized "kidney" machine, usually in a dialysis center, to be cleaned.

But Stacy Morgan, administrator at DaVita Dialysis in Bloomfield, returned months ago from a meeting with an upbeat idea. She asked John Hart and Sandra Frison, both undergoing dialysis due to renal failure from untreated high blood pressure, to use their artistic talents to spice up the clinic at 4312 Penn Ave.

So Mr. Hart, 70, of East Liberty, and Mrs. Frison, 58, of Lawrence-ville, decided to transform ceiling panels into something the clinic's 50 patients, along with doctors, employees and ambulance attendants, could enjoy.

At first, Mrs. Frison drew scenes with crayons on the mineral-fiber ceiling panels. But Mr. Hart, a self-taught artist who also molds clay and carves wood, convinced her to use acrylic paint. The result is a ceiling full of curious, sometimes riveting and forever fun-loving artwork.

"I congratulated them," said Dr. David Levenson, a nephrologist (kidney specialist) with patients at DaVita. "I told them it looked like the Sistine Chapel. Most of the time these people are staring at the ceiling, so everyone gets a kick out of it. Not that it needs to be duplicated, but the idea of brightening up the world is a message they carry to all the patients."

It takes up to an hour to paint one panel and about 50 have been completed. Mr. Hart also has cut out cardboard figures and glued them to panels to create a three-dimensional effect. Blank panels await their attention, but work has been halted until a roof leak is repaired.

About 20 million Americans have chronic kidney disease. Mr. Hart and Mrs. Frison are among the nation's 336,000 on dialysis. About 69,600, including 4,212 Pennsylvanians, await kidney transplants, said Verena Huetteneder, a National Kidney Foundation spokeswoman. Last year, about 13,000 kidney transplants were performed, including 4,906 from live donors.

Everyone with renal failure must undergo dialysis to survive. Mr. Hart said he decided long ago to make good use of his down time.

"I would draw on a clipboard while on the kidney machine," he said. "Then the little lady, Stacy, said, 'Why not paint pictures on tiles so people can look up and see them?' She said, 'John, I wish you'd do that.' "

So he did.

But soon he discovered that mineral-fiber panels are tough on art supplies: "I bet I went through 20 art brushes," he said. "It eats up the brushes and drinks up the paint."

The artwork includes landscapes, portraits of Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali, cartoon characters such as Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and the Tasmanian Devil, along with lions, pandas and other animals. Mr. Hart said his favorites are a lady's face surrounded by sunflowers and one he did of hunting dogs.

Mrs. Frison, on dialysis for 61/2 years, said having needles stuck into her arm is an unpleasant proposition three times a week, especially with her aversion to needles. But painting gives her a worthy goal. Returning to art after a long layoff, she's improving her painting skills, prefers doing biblical topics and landscapes and now desires to take art lessons.

"It's really soothing when I'm into a painting," she said. "I'm trying to learn to paint faces. But people love it -- really love it. When I'm working at home, kids stop by the house to see what I'm doing."

Patients also enjoy the effort. Dialysis patient Larry Martin, 49, of East Liberty, said he wished he could paint like Mr. Hart. His favorite? Mr. Hart's Malcolm X and his congregation.

A former parcel company employee and bank security guard in New York City, Mr. Hart said he came to Pittsburgh decades ago to get a kidney transplant after chronic high blood pressure led to renal failure. He was on dialysis for years prior to his transplant, then returned to dialysis four years ago when his kidney transplant failed after 20 years.

Although Mr. Hart and Mrs. Frison are not his patients, Dr. Levenson said their work rallies spirits in a place that can be depressing for those who spend 12 hours there each week.

Dialysis, he said, is life-sustaining.

"It carries a very negative connotation, but some people are on dialysis for many years. One of my patients was on it for 27 years and another for 30 years."

Patients must follow a strict regimen. In addition to medications to control high blood pressure or diabetes, they must take vitamins and minerals including calcium and remain on a healthy high-protein diet, Dr. Levenson said.

A positive attitude is important.

"It takes a lot of motivation to do it right, but patients are rewarded well for what they do," he said. "Dialysis should not limit their survival."

While most patients fritter away the hours on the machine, Dr. Levenson said, he's impressed that Mr. Hart uses the time wisely.

"I was inspired that someone can take an ordinary routine and mundane experience and turn it into something exciting and beneficial to the entire patient population," he said. "It gives everyone something special."

Ms. Morgan agreed: The artwork has improved patients' moods, reduced stress and made patients easier to deal with.

Both artists take panels home to do the artwork, although Ms. Morgan said the center has offered them work space. Once the leak is repaired, the two said they are determined to continue until every last ceiling panel is painted.

"I'm going to finish it," said a jovial Mr. Hart as he watched his grandchildren at home. "I'm just glad to do something others can enjoy."

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(David Templeton can be reached at dtempleton@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1578. )

URL: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07010/752417-114.stm
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Bob Donaldson, Post-Gazette photos
This Chinese scene is among the ceiling tiles decorated by Sandra Frison at DaVita Dialysis in Bloomfield.