By Brooks Payette

Staff Writer

What began as a hobby for Tara Travis when she moved to Saco four years
ago, has recently touched the lives of children and families at the
Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital (BBCH) at Maine Medical Center in
Portland.

Through the company Stampin’ Up and her business “A Stamping Good
Time,” Travis has donated her time and talents to children and their
families recovering from illnesses and surgery at BBCH in Portland. The
Stampin’ Up Demonstrator recently visited the hospital on June 12 in
preparation for Father’s Day. During that visit, children and parents
made Father’s Day cards with donated materials and help from Travis. It
was one of two times she has visited the medical center.

“How great is it that I can put a smile on a child’s face?” asked
Travis, who is a special education teacher in the Biddeford School
District. “This is something I can do for people and it gives me
immediate satisfaction.”

BBCH Child Life Coordinator Sherisse Wormwell said Travis’ activities have become popular at the hospital.

“She (Travis) has done a wonderful job,” said Wormell. “It is really
nice to be able to offer things to the children and their families that
they might not have the financial means or time to do. It is good
motivation to the children to get out of their room and participate in
a more normal activity.”

Travis’ first visit to BBCH was on May 5, when one adult and 12
children took part in scrapbooking and card making. She said many of
the children made signs for their doors, smiling and proudly displaying
their completed work.

“It was such a wonderful thing to see,” said Travis. “I think it has
been a great way for me to get involved. It has also given me a better
appreciation for my family.”

According to the hospital’s Web site, BBCH at Maine Medical Center
provides and sponsors comprehensive, family-centered health care for
the children of Maine and northern New England. The Barbara Bush
Children’s Hospital’s key activities include collaborative delivery of
integrated health care services to children, promotion of children’s
health, education of caregivers in the principles and practices of
healthcare for children, advancement of the knowledge and care of
children through clinical research and treatment of complex medical and
surgical diseases in a tertiary care facility.

With such a positive turnout, Travis plans to visit the hospital
monthly and has even looked at expanding her classes to York Hospital.
She said that although she loves volunteering, she doesn’t want to be
intrusive on the hospitals by expanding in any way unless asked.

“My goal is to bring some joy to people and get out of the way,” she
said. “If it grows to a bigger level, there are people more than
willing to help.”

Wormell said she plans to continue to work with Travis and was very
appreciative of Travis’ volunteer effort. She said it has been so
successful that even teenage boys have taken part in the activity, an
age group Wormell said is tough to entice.

“I think what she is doing is incredible,” said Wormell. “It is great
she has reached out to people in the community and she has done it
without reservation.”

Travis said the first time she went to BBCH, there was a little girl
who was in such “rough shape” following surgery she barely had the
strength to participate. She said she went back to the hospital a month
later for an appointment with her daughter and saw the child, who was
doing much better. Travis said she spoke with the mother and the two
were nearly in tears because of the progress the child had made and the
time they shared together scrapbooking.

Another woman, whose 3-month-old child needed heart surgery, used the scrapbooking as a way to escape some of her worries

 “She sat down and made two pages for the baby’s scrapbook and was
so happy to have a distraction,” said Travis. Upon speaking with staff
members, the same mother used leftover materials from that day to
continue to scrapbook, she said.

Travis said she originally joined Stampin’ Up to save money on supplies
as she felt she could meet the small amount of quarterly sales quota
they required. Once introducing it to other people, she said many
became interested in purchasing the supplies and being part of the
company. She currently has 14 people working for her through Stampin’
Up.

With such interest, Travis said she wanted to find a way to bring joy
to other people. During a Business Network International meeting, she
heard of a Stampin’ Up Demonstrator volunteering time at a hospital in
Boston, where Travis is originally from.

Travis then got in contact with a staff member at BBCH and began to
arrange the event. After speaking to a representative at Stampin’ Up,
Travis said $700 in items were donated to her for the purpose of
running the event at the hospital.

“They (hospital staff) were amazed at how much material was being donated to the hospital,” Travis said.

With two children of her own and two step children, Travis said she has
learned to appreciate life and the health of her children more as she
has seen first hand what some families go through.

“They say that if you sat in a room with a bunch of people and everyone
threw their problems on the table that you would take your own back,”
she said. “Well, it’s true. It makes you grateful for the small
problems you have.”

Travis joked that she once had to stay in from recess because her
artwork in school was so bad. She then began scrapbooking and became
impressed with her own work and creativity. She said the supplies allow
for her to create things in a structured fashion that come out “looking
good.”

“When you get a chance to tap into your own creativity, it is a great
thing,” she said. “I love seeing the kids have fun and being creative.”