Submitted by Michael Frankfort @mfrank_76
Tilda Shalof, an ICU nurse at Toronto General Hospital for 28 years, collected medicine caps, IV tubes, and syringe covers from her work, seeing beauty and meaning in these plastic pieces. She transformed over 10,000 of these items into a colorful mural now displayed at the hospital. The mural, created with artist Vanessa Herman-Landau, serves as a tribute to the patients Shalof cared for and aims to provide comfort and inspiration to staff and patients. After leaving the ICU due to the demanding hours, Shalof continues to work in a less intensive role at Toronto Western Hospital and plans to create another mural inspired by her new environment. Collecting and creating art from medical waste has become a way for Shalof to cope with the emotional toll of her work and celebrate the impact of nursing.