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The Healing Power of Art and Soul™

A story of hope and healing that brought a family together to face the challenges and share the joy of the life of little Emmanuel Okrah. A son. A brother. And an inspiration to his family and the staff of the Metropolitan Jewish Hospice.

In just a matter of days, the Okrah family experienced the joy of bringing a new baby into the world and the sudden realization that their son, Emmanuel, had been born with a common, but serious, heart defect. Because Emmanuel was only days old and in an already weakened condition due to the holes in his heart walls, surgery was not an option. The doctors encouraged the family to spend the two days they projected the tiny baby would survive at home, where he could be as comfortable as possible.

Fortunately, those doctors also referred the family to Metropolitan Jewish Hospice (Hospice), the only Hospice in NYC with the Art & Soul ^™ program. Each member of the Hospice team pulled together to ensure that Emmanuel and his family would not only receive comfort care, but that they would also have the opportunity to learn about the process they were going through and develop the skills they would need to support Emmanuel and one another in the coming days.

Emmanuel did not die within the two days first predicted by his doctors. Hospice continued to work with the family and nearly six months passed, keeping Emmanuel comfortable, his family supported and the children active in Art & Soul ^™.

Emmanuel’s mother, Ms. Akua Afriyie, her husband, Bernard Okrah, and their family came to rely on the compassionate care and education provided by Hospice and Art & Soul ^™. The creative arts therapy sessions were an opportunity for the young children in the family to learn how to identify their feelings and express their needs for support. The sessions also gave the adults an opportunity to learn how their children were coping and how they could relate to one another.

Toward the end of the year, Emmanuel took a turn for the worse. His parents contacted Art & Soul ^™ and asked us to specifically begin to address issues surrounding death with Emmanuel’s siblings (ages 5 and 7) and young cousins. Although none of the previous arts therapy sessions had specifically talked about death or that there could come a time when Emmanuel would no longer be with them, as this session unfolded, the children realized they understood about grief and loss because of the work they had already done.

Miraculously, Emmanuel did not die. He is a little boy that has defied the odds at every turn. The tiny infant, who was not expected to see three days, not only survived, but over time gained enough strength to become a candidate for heart surgery. As of this writing, he is recovering and his family is optimistic about their future together.

We’ve shared this story because it was important to Emmanuel’s family that others experiencing a life-limiting illness of a child know that Art & Soul ^™ can help children and families learn the skills they need to cope with the end of life. And to encourage you to help us help others to deal with one of the most difficult situations a family can ever face.