Cleveland Clinic Mercy ICU nurse paints murals at hospital to bring smiles to patients
CANTON − Any time a hospital patient is placed in an intensive care unit, it's serious.
To make their stay a little more bearable, Kara Ball, an ICU nurse at Cleveland Clinic Mercy Hospital, uses her artistic talents to create murals on patients' doors.
A self-taught artist, Ball has been painting the murals in the ICU for about a year-and-a-half — whenever she has some downtime on her shift.
The paintings, which are done on the glass doors of the rooms, depict holidays, various animals and scenery, many of which are requested by patients or their families and even coworkers.
"I started my nursing career in the NICU (neonatal intensive care) for the first eight years, and we'd paint what we were doing that day on our whiteboards," she said. "A couple of years ago, I posted on Facebook a picture I'd done. My coworkers suggested I do the same for the adults."
Kara Ball: 'It's been therapeutic for me.'
To get her started, a coworker in the ICU bought her a set of dry-erase markers in January 2022.
"I've been doing it ever since then," she said. "I get a lot of support from my coworkers, and it's been therapeutic for me."
After transitioning to chalk because the dry-erase markers ran out of ink too quickly, Ball did some research and moved to acrylic paint.
She's gotten "thank you cards" from families who appreciated the murals.
There are some special stories behind many of the pieces. A mural of an elephant was the result of a request by a man from Virginia whose wife had fallen ill here.
"They didn't have any family here," Ball said. "He told me she loved elephants, that she collected them and gave them away to special people in her life."
Ball said that after the patient woke up, she requested photos of the mural, which she posted on social media.
A portrait of a happy golden retriever was painted for a patient who missed his own dogs.
Ball, who only took an art class in high school, said she completed the painting in about 30 minutes.
"He really wanted to see his dogs," she said.
A smiling Ball said one of the most difficult requests she's fielded from co-workers was a mural celebrating the University of Michigan's football win over Ohio State.
ICU nurse manager Laura Miller is one of Ball's biggest fans.
"I think it's amazing," she said. "She brings great joy to our patients, their families and caregivers."
Miller said the murals generate "joy and hope," adding with a laugh that she puts in requests for the spaces which are closest to her office.
"I especially like the ones that focus on the spiritual side," she said.
The story behind the mural at Room No. 3
She also shared a special story behind a mural she painted on Door No. 3.
"She was a very sweet elderly lady," she said. "She went from 'full code' to comfort care. She knew she was not going to be leaving the ICU. She asked me to paint her a scenic path. She said, 'I know I'm not leaving this room. I want to envision that final walk to Jesus.'"
Another memorable mural, Ball said, was a painting she did of the Grinch for a fellow nurse whose husband was a patient, and who went by the nickname "Grinch."
Ball did the mural, and when Easter came, she added bunny ears on the Grinch.
"Unfortunately, he passed, but we did not want to take it down," she said. "We kept it and changed it according to the seasons."
Ball said she's grateful that people enjoy the murals, and for the support of the staff.
"I'm very blessed with the amount of support I get from Laura and my co-workers," she said. "I really do enjoy it."
Reach Charita at 330-580-8313 or charita.goshay@cantonrep.com.
On Twitter: @cgoshayREP
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Kara Ball, ICU nurse at Cleveland Clinic Mercy Hospital, paints murals
