Brattleboro Memorial Hospital hosted a special art reception on July 31 to showcase more than two dozen pieces of original Vermont artwork, thanks to a generous donation by the Susan Sebastian Foundation of Williston, Vermont.The Foundation was established in April 2009 by Elise Braun of Waterbury, Vermont, following the death of her daughter, Susan Sebastian in 2008. Born at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital on July 31, 1956, Susan graduated from Stowe High School in 1975 and lived with her husband Jim in South Dartmouth, Massachusetts, until his death in 2004.
Susan suffered from a long illness before her own death and spent a good deal of time staring at hospital room walls with her mother by her side. She told her mother, "When I get out of here, I am going to sell my house to buy art for hospital patient rooms."
Braun was determined to see her daughter's wishes realized. The mission of the Susan Sebastian Foundation is to purchase and donate Vermont artwork to hang on the walls of patient rooms in Vermont hospitals. So far, the Foundation has given more than 200 pieces of art to eight Vermont hospitals.
More than half of the 27 pieces of Vermont artwork that will adorn patient room walls at BMH are by artists local to the Brattleboro area. The artwork was displayed together for this special exhibit before being installed in patient rooms.
BMH has provided healthcare services for over one hundred years. A licensed, 61-bed, not-for-profit community hospital located in southeastern Vermont, it serves a rural population of about 55,000 people in 22 towns in Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. The medical staff includes 137 board-certified physicians, both primary care and many specialists, and its 572 employees enjoy the help of over 110 active volunteers.
BRATTLEBORO, VT – (July 31, 2014) -- Brattleboro Memorial Hospitalwww.bmhvt.org