Make-A-Wish, Brookdale Hospital team up for pair of community murals

Local do-gooders with the Make-A-Wish foundation are brightening up Brooklyn with a series of vibrant murals aimed at celebrating the resilience of “Wish Kids.” 

The charity, along with LISA Project NYC, erected the first two portraits at southern Brooklyn’s Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center, which the head of Make-A-Wish Metro New York praised as an “extraordinary partner” to the organization, and a facility that provides top-notch care to children with critical illnesses. 

“We were thrilled to work with these exceptional artists to bring color, art and joy to the Brookdale community, and through it, awareness of the Make-A-Wish mission,” said Phil Lussier. “Brookdale has been an extraordinary partner to Make-A-Wish, referring kids with critical illnesses for wishes, which can be life-changing for them, their families and their communities.”

The murals aim to highlight the stories of the many Wish Kids who have been helped from the charity, their neighbors, and their families, Lussier said. 

One of the murals was created by Rey “The DR¡F” Rosa, who co-founded the arts organization LISA Project NYC, and who has lived with a critical illness since birth. Rosa highlights a 1999 trip to Disney World as bringing much-needed cheer to the lives of sick children, as Make-A-Wish aims to do.  

“It inspires me to see that there is hope in the world for people that are struggling, that people can find those rays of light,” said Rey Rosa. “One of my goals has been to figure out how I can give back to an organization that has given me something so great and had an impact on my life in an awesome way,” Rey said. “This is an amazing way to do it.”

Brooklyn-based artistic award winner Peach Tao created the second mural at Brookdale, while allowing children in Brookdale’s pediatric ward to help choose the final design. 

“The radiance and beauty of the Brookdale Make-A-Wish murals bring hope, strength, and a splash of color to our patients, employees, and community,” said Sandra Scott, MD, executive director of Brookdale Hospital and Medical Center. “The murals also reflect the beautiful partnership between Make-A-Wish and Brookdale Hospital. They brighten my day every morning on my way into the hospital!”