SEATTLE —
A group of patients from Seattle Children’s hospital will have their artwork flown into outer space to the International Space Station.
Tanesha Ross is a music therapist at Seattle Children’s and set up the project for the children. Thirty patients each got a square on a piece of fabric to paint however they want, then that fabric will be sewn together with other similar pieces from kids around the world, creating a space suit for an astronaut.
“It's kind of like a quilt. There's just art from head to toe, except the helmet. They're wearing the helmet, it goes all the way to the gloves to the ankles, front and back literally the entire space suit is covered in art made by kids,” said Ross.
Nicole Stott is an astronaut and oversees this yearly project. She and Ross connected, creating a bridge for Seattle patients to get involved.
The patients also had the chance to decorate postcards which will be sent up to space.
“One of the things I heard one of the kiddos say earlier is it makes them feel special. It gives them a bright spot in an otherwise dark time. It gives them something to look forward to when they come here because this can be a scary place and an uncertain place and it’s nice to give them something that’s bigger than that, that’s outside of that for them to really give their attention to and focus on,” said Ross.
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