Painter Seeks 'Brighter Way' for Hospital's Sickest Kids

When Cristina Powell walks through the halls at the Floating Hospital for Children at Tufts Medical Center, the entire room turns to smiles. Everyone knows her name, from the nurses and receptionists to the patients, and Cristina smiles back. It is her mission, after all, to bring joy and comfort to others by paving the pathway to a "brighter way." 

Born in Peru, Cristina was adopted at just four days old by Leanne Powell of Michigan. Then at 15 months old, she was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy and a movement disorder, and told she would never be able to walk or talk.  

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Now, at 22 years old, she is walking, talking and painting. Cristina first started painting years ago in her 6th grade art class. "The way the teacher taught made my own talent come alive," Cristina said.    

Cristina first came to Boston in 2004 so her mother, Leanne, could receive medical treatment for the lingering impacts of a severe car crash years ago. As the stays became longer in Boston, and the commute became more difficult to and from Michigan, they decided to rent a small studio apartment. They now live together in a one-bedroom apartment in Brookline, and spend their summers home in Michigan with Cristina's grandmother. 

Once a child with a paintbrush, Cristina has grown to become a prestigious artist and figure in Brookline and the medical community, with more than 40 paintings now in her portfolio, many of which have been donated to hospitals and medical centers. But it's not just about the painting for Cristina, who says it's the mission and goals she wishes to achieve through her artwork, most importantly interacting with families going through a difficult time or illness, that drives her.

"There are many families who we meet [at Tufts Medical Center] and we were here for them. Their stories and what they are going through is sad but by the time they leave there are smiles and cheer like they were given hope to them," Cristina said. "If it's for a day, a minute or an hour, just to give them a brighter way."

That's why Cristina has recently partnered with Hsiu-Lan Chang, 0wner of  in Washington Square, to produce six large prints for the Floating Hospital for Children at Tufts. The seventh floor, where the paintings will be displayed, is dedicated for the treatment of children, many of whom are very ill.  

Cristina said they got the idea to do the project in early spring 2010. The chief operating officer of the hospital had wanted to see her paintings in the Floating Hospital for some time, but they didn't have the budget to afford it. Shortly after, one of the employees at the hospital issued Cristina a check for a large amount of money.

"It was his incredible gift to her and Cristina turned around and gave it to the hospital," Leanne said.  

"The CEO of the hospital was just ecstatic." Cristina and

Chang quickly went to work, on a mission to brighten up the plain, pale hospital walls with the perfect frames for Cristina's unique style of painting.

"Cristina's pieces are so specific in that they are hopeful and colorful with themes of flowers, hearts and angels," Chang said. "My job was to express the message of love and hope and I wanted to find an appropriate framing treatment so the artwork sort of speaks."  

As Chang revealed the six large, 32-by-24-inch colorful prints (based on originals as small as 8-by-10 inches) framed in what Chang described as "jelly-bean colors," there was no doubt she nailed it.  

Cristina's "A Brighter Way" will finally be celebrated today, Dec. 7 from 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the Tufts Medical Center Atrium with music and refreshments. The paintings will then be displayed on the sevent floor later this week.  

Chang said she was thrilled to be a part of Cristina's newest project with Tufts, but she's doing it mostly for Cristina's family and the patients at the hospital. "In the end I'm happy if Cristina and Leanne are happy with my work and the children and caregivers have a more cheerful environment," Chang said. "It's going to mean a world of difference to the space, touching tens of thousands and parents and children along the way."  

Some of Cristina's paintings are already hung up throughout the hospital, several in the waiting room on the seventh floor. Cristina recalls one woman who recently passed away who absolutely loved "The Tree of Light and Hope" painting, which will be displayed in the waiting room in her memory.

"A lot of people in the waiting room were scared and sad, and we told them what we were doing and everybody just came together," Cristina said.    

It's personally important for Cristina to visit the Floating Hospital often, and she is there to greet people most Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons at the gift shop, where many of her paintings are on sale, as well as T-shirts, greeting cards and framed decorations.

And Cristina takes care of everything with her business, from designing the paintings to handling the checks and giving people their change. In addition to being one of her favorite phrases, "A Brighter Way" is the name of Cristina's earliest paintings and, now, her painting business. But for Cristina, it isn't about the fortune nor fame.

"I think for Cristina what she's doing is exactly what she wants to continue doing," her mother Leanne said. "She always says, 'I don't need to be famous, mom. I just want to be me,' Every time I watch her, you know from the minute she gets to the hospital until she leaves why it's important for her to do what she does."  

Cristina, now 22 and past the legal threshold of adulthood, said she couldn't be happier with what she's doing with her life either. "I meet so many patients and their families and what I like about it is I get to talk to them and they get to talk to me," she said.

Cristina recalls a special bond she formed with a patient who was at Tufts getting a new heart: "We were here until he went home and his family and all of us became very attached." They even brought Cristina up to see the patient in his room during his time at the hospital, which Cristina said was a special moment for her.  

Due to her love and care for the patients, Cristina has even started creating hand-written cards with her paintings on the front for encouragement, as she has always enjoyed writing as well. "A lot of people ask us to do get-well cards. When people get sick, you don't know if they'll be alright," Cristina said.    

Cristina holds up one of her painted, flower-themed "Smile…It's Spring" cards with a handwritten verse inside: "I send you a gentle morning…an afternoon filled with brighter moments and a calm night. Hope you have better days ahead."  

Through everything, thick and thin, Cristina has had the support and dedication of her mother, Leanne, who is like Cristina's other half. They often dress in matching outfits, wearing a pair of "A Gift From the Heart" holiday T-shirts on a recent day.    

"It's just so beautiful what she's doing," Leanne said of her daughter's work. "Cristina loves being at the hospital with the patients and that's what makes it so special and unique. Everybody we know is through Cristina and her art."  

Chang, who has known Cristina for six years, said what Cristina is doing isn't typical of your average 20-something. "The biggest compliment I can give is that Cristina has not changed. At 14, she was innocent, cheerful, loving visionary and knew exactly what she wanted to do. She wanted to bring comfort and hope for people going through difficult health issues and she's just so committed," Chang said.  

"Hospital days can be difficult and her and her mother bring a lot of love and cheerfulness to the patients. They are angels, really."  

You can attend Cristina's "A Brighter Way" showing at the Atrium in Tufts Medical Center on Tuesday, Dec. 7, from 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. to celebrate her artwork for the Floating Hospital for Children. Enjoy soft music and refreshments as you meet Cristina and browse her many joyful paintings. There will also be a dedication by Cristina Powell and guests at 1 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.