Beaumont art class eases stress of dealing with cancer
Jason Tirey was prescribed sinus medicine for more than a year after he complained to his doctor about soreness, the pitch change in his voice and drainage in his throat.
Earlier this year, when Tirey, 38, took his daughter to urgent care for a cold, an emergency doctor suggested he see an ear, nose and throat specialist after hearing him speak.
“Instead of a sinus infection, I was diagnosed with stage two throat cancer. That wasn’t the news I was expecting,” the 38-year-old Lincoln Park resident said. “After that moment I felt like I was in a bubble and everything became a blur.”
When Tirey’s daughter, Emma Tackett, found out about her dad’s condition, the devastated and heartbroken 12-year-old found an outlet for her feelings through art therapy.
To help cope with the life-threatening illness, Tirey’s family turned to the Zoe Foundation for Infusion Art Therapy at Beaumont Hospital in Dearborn.
“I was really worried and sad about my dad, but I would imagine that he was a superhero that his cancer was cured,” Emma said. “I drew him a special shirt and a Superman painting.”
Founded in 2006 the program was implemented to help provide emotional support for patients and their families using art and painting.
“Through our program we use art as creative self-expression and it’s an outlet that often helps more than people realize,” said Erin Shahly, Beaumont’s program coordinator. “Cancer is a journey and there are a lot of ups and downs, but art therapy can help patients feel empowered and aids with the health and healing process.”
Each class is 90 minutes and is open to the patient and their families. Patients can request private art sessions and there is no restriction on what can be painted or drawn. The next children’s healing art workshop begins Dec. 27 and the artwork from that session will be exhibited in the Cancer Center Gallery at the hospital January through March.
Lisa Tackett, 35, took Emma to art therapy once a week, hoping the classes would give her daughter a sense of normalcy as she struggled with her dad’s diagnosis.
“It let us take our mind off all the worry, what ifs and everything that was going on,” said Tackett, who is Tirey’s fiancée. “I was glad to see Emma being a kid again and enjoying something she liked to do.”
Katherine Puckett of Mind-Body Medicine division at Cancer Treatment Centers of America said a cancer diagnosis can stir up many emotions for the patient and caregiver.
“In the Mind-Body medicine field, we know that it is better for a person to express their emotions rather than try to hold them inside,” she said.
“For some people, counseling or talk therapy may be of benefit, but this is not for everyone. That is why offering some other form of therapy that allows one to express their emotions and release feelings, such as art therapy, can be beneficial.”
According to the National Institutes of Health, an analysis of 1,576 cancer patients found art therapy reduced depression, anxiety and pain.
While Puckett is uncertain about the popularity of art programs in hospitals, she believes as more literature is published on the topic, it will become more widespread.
In addition to the Zoe Foundation for Infusion Art Therapy program at Beaumont Hospital, other art therapy programs are offered at the University of Michigan, Botsford and Henry Ford Hospital.
Although Tirey is in recovery his family faces eviction and medical bills totaling more than $300,000.
“This cancer has really taken a toll on our family,” he said. “I was supposed to get married in August but the money we saved for our wedding went to cover medical costs and housing expenses.”
“I was depressed and in pain from the treatment, but seeing Emma’s paintings helped me feel better. I was determined not to let this disease tear me apart and I knew I had to be strong for my family.”
The superhero painting Emma drew for her dad was on display at Beaumont Hospital for two months and is now at home in their living room.
“The classes really helped me to express myself,” she said. “I know my dad will get better and I hope that the classes can help others kids that have a parent with cancer, too.”
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Art therapy program
For information on how to donate to the Oakwood Foundation for Art Therapy:
(313) 586-5234
erin.shahly@beaumont.org
Helping the Tirey family