GLASSBORO, N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — Rowan University will be the site of a new healing arts center, thanks to a donor who says painting helped change his outlook on life after he was paralyzed.
A $1 million gift from Dr. James George will fund the creation of the healing arts center in his name. George worked for decades as an emergency medicine physician, until a fall paralyzed him. He says painting became a passion during his recovery at Magee Rehabilitation Center in Philadelphia.
“When I was in Magee rehab hospital, just barely beginning to recover some movement on my left side, I could just put marks on paper. And then after a couple of weeks of that, I discovered color and I ended up painting every day when I was at Magee,” he said.
“That, for me, has been a miraculous gift of art in my life after my accident.”
George says he’s right-handed but gained function in his left side first, and he found joy and inspiration in learning something new. He says this turned into the passion that helped push his limits of mental and physical recovery.
He now hopes to share this experience with others through the creation of the new center, “which would collaborate with a wider and wider network of healthcare institutions, community groups, Rowan students and other folks,” he explained.
“It gave and gives me great personal satisfaction and it keeps me active,” George said, “so all of those things are reasons why I decided to do this.”
Rowan’s Creative Arts and Communications Dean Sanford Tweedie says the Dr. James George & Family Healing Arts Center will be available to patients, their families, students and just about anyone else they can help.
“He hasn’t used this phrase yet but he’s said it before: he sees this opportunity for the healing arts as a weapon of mass improvement,” Tweedie shared.
Rowan President Dr. Ali Houshmand says George is a longtime member of the Rowan community who leads by example — and helping to unlock the healing power of creativity may be the greatest gift of all.