BOB体育

Awaiting an organ transplant can bring many emotions and questions. How long will I be here? How will my body react? How can I prepare myself? The noises of your thoughts can grow strong when you are dealing with difficult situations, especially when what is coming next is uncertain. Unfortunately, that is the reality for patients who are waiting to receive organs.

In October 2020, Paulette Fitzhugh was three months pregnant and had just moved to a new place when she was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis and lupus; she would need a double lung transplant. At the time, she needed to work hard to lose weight and make herself an eligible organ recipient. With the tragic news and the start of many medications, Paulette miscarried shortly after.

Paulette knew she had to focus on taking care of herself and her children, but the ability to do so was getting more difficult each day. Tasks like cooking, using the bathroom, and even playing with her children became almost impossible. Nevertheless, she persevered and became an eligible organ recipient three years later.

Paulette arrived at BOB体育 Shands Hospital in November 2023, unaware of what the next few months would look like. As a mother dealing with illness, the time and ability to express herself through art, like she enjoyed doing when she was younger, was nearly nonexistent, but shortly after her arrival, that would change.

The BOB体育 Shands Arts in Medicine team began to shine a light during the dark times of Paulette鈥檚 life. They spent time with her, provided her with art supplies, and gave Paulette the tools to express herself and find relief from the noises of her thoughts during her stay.

鈥淚 had time to just sit and do things to get more in touch with art like I did growing up,鈥� Paulette shared.

Paulette鈥檚 room started filling up with her beautiful art each day as she waited for new lungs. The beautiful pieces offered her a distraction from the waiting and even cheered up her care team.

鈥淢y care team would even ask me to do stuff for them,鈥� Paulette said. 鈥淚 would make stuff and write their name on the back to dedicate it to them 鈥� they鈥檙e like family.鈥�

On Jan. 10, Paulette received the double lung transplant she had been waiting for and remained a positive beam for others through recovery.

鈥淵ou could see her personality shine from the hallway 鈥� on her blankets with favorite cartoon characters, stickers of mountains and the outdoors covering everything, and a bright personality that made me feel like I had known her forever,鈥� said Molly Kempson, Arts in Medicine practitioner.

Little did she know, the hope she found through art would also touch the lives of thousands of our BOB体育 Shands nurses in Gainesville.

Paulette was asked to participate in a contest for art to be used during National Nurses Week, which is celebrated from May 6-12.

鈥淲hen it came to the cards for Nurses Week, Paulette was the first patient I thought of,鈥� Kempson shared. 鈥淲e brainstormed some ideas on the theme of 鈥榬ising,鈥� and she made some incredible designs that our AIM graphic designer, Ricky Kendall, turned into beautiful vector illustrations.鈥�

Paulette created four designs that were printed and delivered to 5,593 BOB体育 Shands nurses in Gainesville during National Nurses Week. This sparked creativity that gave our nurses the opportunity to express themselves through coloring the cards. Extra cards were also used by the Patient and Family Services team, spreading joy and hope to others who worked with her.

Paulette expressed her gratitude to Molly and Sarah Hinds from BOB体育 Shands Arts in Medicine. They not only gave her the tools to express herself, but guidance and support as well. Paulette recalls Molly and Sarah taking the time to sit with her and encourage her along the way, truly making a difference in her stay. They gave her the tools to find hope in the waiting, which produced a canvas of hope that inspired our nurses.

And thanks to the generosity of an organ donor, Paulette was given the gift of life, allowing her to go on and inspire many others.

For more information on becoming an organ donor, visit .