Mission M4
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The Miracle of Art

In late spring of 2019 a 10-year-old girl was transferred to Walter Reed Murtha Cancer Center Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Service for treatment of Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). AML often keeps patients in a hospital for the majority of 6-9 months.  Mazie, our given name, was diagnosed in Okinawa and brought to a hospital in the states for her first month of treatment before her family was transferred to WRNMMC.  A special bond forms between patients and their first care teams, often referred to as “the blessing of the first touch.” Understandably, after moving around the world and beginning treatment elsewhere, Mazie struggled to connect to her new team at Walter Reed.

Searching for a way to help Mazie build trust in her new environment, staff turned to art.  Mazie came up with a theme, set a due date, and hung a submission folder on her hospital room door. Enough entries poured in to change the exhibit every 2 weeks for the duration of Mazie’s stay at Walter Reed.  She came up with new themes and submission dates with each new show receiving more submissions than the last.  The shows began taking over the walls of the unit. Staff was amazed at how this project had vastly improved morale on the floor. Even patients who didn’t want to create their own art would ask to take walks to “see the art show.” It happened spontaneously with art simply taped to the hospital walls; this was obviously unsustainable in a medical environment. Despite that, it stayed up long after Mazie completed treatment and she was finally discharged. The art show became known as “Mazie’s Project.”
Staff, patients, and families were so impressed with the impact the project made and wished they could find a way to make it a permanent part of the unit.  After years of covering the walls with random decals, they looked tired and chaotic with art randomly hung throughout the unit.  Regardless, they all knew that Mazie’s Project had made a great difference in helping to foster a sense of peace, security, and tranquility for everyone involved in the unit.
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Miracles do happen!  Coincidently, Mission:M4 heard about the success of Mazi’s Project through a patient and decided it would be a wonderful project for them to take on.  Mission M4 began to research how to create a cohesive, unified, and calming environment within the hospital and fire code guidelines.   Magnetic display boards were found to accommodate a permanent exhibit.  A mural artist was identified who could make wall size decals that were adventurous with soothing colors and comforting animals that any child would love to explore.

​Mission:M4 contacted Geico Insurance for support. They were excited about the project, understood its value and provided the $10,000 needed to complete the project.  Geico understood that changing the physical space could boost morale and provide a more therapeutic respite for the families, children, and staff who spend countless hours walking these hallways.  Mission: M4 is partnering with the Walter Reed Society to make Mazie's Project a reality.
       
Many things are beyond the control of those who spend time on the Pediatric Unit at Walter Reed. Redoing the walls and securing the continuation of an engaging art show is therapeutic for patients, families, and staff.  This project will create a protected  space designed specifically to support patients and family during the hardest days of their lives. Many thanks to Mission:M4, a partnership with the Walter Reed Society and  Geico Insurance for their support in achieving our Mission!

MISSION:M4 Achievements


  1. The playroom in the children’s unit at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center was totally renovated by the hospital. As a result of Mission:M4’s work with Hasbro, the new play-room was filled with new toys!

  2. Hasbro Toys continues to send “pallets” of toys to the children’s unit at Walter Reed Na-tional Military Medical Center. Imagine a very sick child having tons of toys to pick from when they need a smile? The kids at WRNMMC do!

  3. Working in coordination with America Adopt-A-Soldier, all patient rooms now have X-Boxes to help the children pass difficult times. They can interact with their families with a smile instead of a tear.

  4. The infusion center also has X-Boxes. Can you imagine a child getting an infusion, for ex-tended hours, and not even having a TV to watch? Now, as soon a child enters the unit, they ask for the remote.

  5. The Sedation Unit now has DVD players to divert a child’s mind when waiting for a proce-dure. It used to be scary to wait for everyone to get things ready, but now their attention is divert-ed by music, a story or other available DVD options.​

Our Wishlist


Our current project really needs your help. We are attempting to build a family room in the Pediatric Critical Care Unit at Walter Reed. When families bring their very ill children to the hospital, they do not leave their room for days. There are few places to be other than to sit in a chair in their child’s room….whether the child is in the room or out for tests. A sun filled family room is planned to have a lounge area, refreshment area, large TV, fun art on the walls and a desk area with computers, printer and scanner allowing a parent to stay in touch with family and work. Please help us make this happen with a donation through our website: www.Missionm4.org
Or mailing a check to:​

​The Walter Reed Society /Box 303
8901 Wisconsin Avenue
Bethesda,Maryland 20889
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​"We are thrilled to announce that one system has already been installed in the Children's Radiology Unit at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center We have raised the funds to secure a second system in the hope that Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii will be our next stop.  MISSION:M4 hopes to facilitate the installation of 10 more systems  for the military hospitals within the United States with the largest children’s units."


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  • Home
  • About
    • About Mission:M4
    • Message from the Chair
    • Walter Reed Society Congratulates Linda Wolf
    • Active Committee
    • NVAR Award Recipient
    • Mission:M4 Project Update
  • The Solution
    • The PVD System
  • HOW TO HELP
  • Donate
  • Contact