3/28/2005 6:31:00 PM
To: Metro Desk
Contact: Denise LeBloch, 630-462-4127 or dlebloch@marianjoy.org, Char Mufich, 630-588-7882 or cmufich@marianjoy.org, both of Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital
WHEATON, Ill., March 28 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital has created a coloring book for children that addresses the awareness and acceptance of individuals living with disabilities and emphasizes the respect and dignity of all people, regardless of their physical appearance or limitations.
The coloring book, entitled The Amazing Colors Within, tells the story of a young boy's first encounter with a child in a wheelchair. The reader is taken on a journey with the main character as he questions what it means to have a disability and ultimately realizes that he and the disabled child can do many of the same things - and that there are even things the disabled child can teach him. The story helps emphasize the importance of recognizing individuality, celebrating differences and not allowing physical appearances to overshadow an individual's abilities.
Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital, located in Wheaton, Illinois, is a physical rehabilitation facility for individuals who have experienced a disability due to an injury, illness, surgery or birth defect. Part of Marianjoy's mission is advocacy for the disabled which includes promoting awareness, respect and dignity for individuals as they continue to pursue a lifestyle of their choosing. The coloring book is just one way in which Marianjoy is helping to promote to young children the need for acceptance and understanding of others.
"Children's attitudes and biases are formed very early in their lives which is why it's important that a topic such as this be addressed with the very young," stated Dr. Mary Keen, Medical Director of the Pediatric Program at Marianjoy and one of the co- authors of the coloring book. "Children need to be taught that all of us, regardless of our abilities or disabilities, have something to offer to the world and that looking beyond physical appearances, helps us to realize that we have more in common than we may have first realized. It's a good lesson for children and adults as well."
The story, an original creation written by the healthcare professionals at Marianjoy, is available to the community for the suggested donation price of $1.25 per coloring book. Copies may be obtained by contacting Marianjoy's Marketing Department at 630-588-7882 or via email at webeditor@marianjoy.org.
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Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital is a 120-bed hospital in Wheaton, Illinois, that is dedicated to the delivery of rehabilitative medicine. Founded in 1972 by the Wheaton Franciscan Sisters, the hospital is part of the Marianjoy network that manages more than 400 beds within the greater Chicago area. Throughout the network, Marianjoy provides comprehensive inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation services, including programs that assist patients with community re-entry, such as driver rehabilitation and return-to-work programs. Marianjoy is a member of Wheaton Franciscan Services, Inc., located in Wheaton, Illinois. Sponsored by the Wheaton Franciscan Sisters, Wheaton Franciscan Services, Inc. owns and operates more than 100 health and shelter service organizations in Colorado, Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin.
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