Paper cranes by the thousands soothe patients at Shands

Thousands of hand-folded paper cranes created by University of Florida engineering professor Elif Akcali are on display and dedicated to the Shands Arts in Medicine program at the Criser Cancer Resource Center at the UF Shands Cancer Hospital in Gainesville.

Nearly 4,000 cranes hang from the ceiling of the Marshall M. and Paula P. Criser Jr. Cancer Resource Center at UF Health Shands Cancer Hospital, rotating at the ends of their strings.

Some cranes are red. Others are white. They are strung into deliberate patterns, like a cascading hexagon or a grid. At Thursday nights reception, they filled the unoccupied space above everyone.

Visitors tipped their heads back to enjoy the nine sculptures that help comprise Messages, an exhibit by Elif Akcali, associate professor of industrial and systems engineering at the University of Florida, which was the inspiration for the reception.

But the cranes at the front of the room are different. Long, thin scrolls are fastened over them. Within each scroll is a message by a patient in the hospital. Akcali called this sculpture Message in the Folds.

The installation is in collaboration with UF Health Shands Arts in Medicine program, said director Tina Mullen. The program facilitates activities like art workshops or performances for patients in the hospital.

Mullen said patients will be able to see the cranes when they use the cancer resource center, which provides computers, books and classes to patients and caretakers. And anyone in the hospital will be able to see the exhibit from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday until Feb. 15.

Amy Bucciarelli, an art therapist with the program, helped collect the messages from patients and doctors. She said some messages were particularly touching.

For example, a 5-year-old girl who could not leave her bed because of her condition threw her arms in the air when asked for a contribution. Her message was Fly with your dreams.

To tell them, Your message is going to inspire other people, Bucciarelli said, it gives kids in the hospital a greater sense of meaning to their experience.

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Paper cranes by the thousands soothe patients at Shands