OKLAHOMA CITY –A group of medical students deep in their studies needed a break, so they turned to pottery. They found the feel of clay in their hands was the distraction they were looking for, and that led to an idea that now serves the patients they hope to treat one day. As part of an ongoing series, Celebrating the Standard is spotlighting Oklahomans working to make their communities better.
From study breaks to a nonprofit
Holden Husbands, Sam Chen and Emmanuel Li are medical students at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine. They founded H&E Healing Arts, a nonprofit ceramic art therapy program.
Husbands said the idea grew out of late nights of studying.
“Manuel and I were spending a lot of our nights just staying up super late studying together. And we wanted to do something outside of class to hang out. So we had this idea about going to do some pottery together. So after a few classes together, we saw the therapeutic nature of molding clay and then reached out to Oklahoma Children’s and said, hey, is this something you guys would be interested in for the children here? And it was met with a resounding yes.”
A pottery event at OU Children’s Hospital
The students held a pottery event on the campus of OU Children’s Hospital. The room was filled with hospital gowns decorated with cartoons, patient ID bands on small wrists and IVs attached to arms meant to create. Children and their parents, many of whom live on the hospital campus long term while fighting debilitating diseases, took part.
Chen said the event brought a different mood into the room.
“we just got to see just a little moment of, you know, normal life and happiness that kind of cut through all the, you know, sadness and heaviness that was in the air when they came in the room.”
Made by hand, start to finish
The students start with blocks of raw clay and make everything by hand on the wheel. Chen said the work doesn’t feel like a chore.
“Honestly, because we really love the art. Like when we’re in there. It doesn’t feel like work. It’s honestly been a great excuse to just do what I love, which is ceramics. It’s a lot of fun.”
The pieces are shaped and fired at Bishop McGuinness High School, where the students credit the art teacher with making the program possible. Once the clay is finished, the students return the pieces to the children.
A break from the classroom
For the students, the visits are also a change from the pace of medical school.
“It’s really rewarding. Yeah, I’d say that’s probably what keeps us coming back the most is it’s really nice to kind of get out of the mundane studying of medical school and be able to, get to interact with patients on a more fun and interactive level as opposed to just, back when we were in pre-clinical, just studying all day,” said Holden.
Chen described what the program gives the families.
“I think that’s the biggest impact that we can give the kids. Just a couple minutes of just feeling normal, a couple of minutes for their parents to feel like their kids can just be kids.”
