Collective Care

Get Inspired: Life-Saving Weaving

Collective Care. It takes a whole community to care for our collective health. We're inviting your family to think about how artistry and scientific knowledge can work together to improve healthcare. Check out this story about Indigenous women in Bolivia and how their cultural traditions are saving lives.

Creativity is needed to make scientific breakthroughs. The Aymara women of Bolivia adapted their traditional weaving skills to create life-saving devices to save their children and others from heart failure and disease. When we work together as a community, sharing our unique skills, we can leverage our strengths to make a lasting impact on our collective well-being.

Let’s Talk

After watching the video about life-saving weaving, use the questions below to kick-start a great conversation with your family:

• What stood out to you about the story of the Bolivian weavers? What inspired you?

• How do these women use their cultural traditions to advance medicine? Why is their expertise important?

• Do you think creativity is important to advancing healthcare? Why?

• Bonus! Are you passionate about a healthcare issue? Research innovations in the field of medicine or public health and report your finding to your family!

Do Something: Exercise Challenge

Let's get moving! Taking care of your health to the best of your ability helps keep you and your community safe and reduces serious illness.

We're challenging your family to create a calendar of daily movement. Take a break from Zoom and stretch, go for a run, play a game outside, or dance! Move your body in a way that feels good for you.

Can your family reach a week of daily movement? Pick a starting day and make a blank calendar to hang on your fridge. You could practice the same exercise throughout the week, or challenge yourself to move in new ways every day!

Community Connections: Thank Healthcare Workers

Healthcare workers like doctors and nurses sacrifice a lot to make sure people stay healthy and heal quickly during stressful times. They need community support now more than ever.

Let’s get creative! Spend some time today crafting messages of gratitude and encouragement to healthcare heroes in our community. To show your appreciation and support for their daily work, write thank you letters to the doctors and nurses at Jesse Brown Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Draw pictures and create cool designs to help make them smile. How would you like to be thanked after a long day of work or school? Let's celebrate the amazing work of healthcare professionals!

You can mail your cards to:

Jesse Brown VA Medical Center
Attn: Volunteer Services
820 S Damen Ave
Chicago, IL 60612