The mural is a permanent gift to the hospital, thanks to a joint effort of Peanuts Worldwide, the Foundation for Hospital Art, and the paediatric patients and staff members who participated in painting it. 

Paediatric patients and hospital staff members collaborated on painting the six-panel mural, which features a brightly coloured image of Snoopy and Woodstock enjoying a hearty laugh atop Snoopy’s doghouse.

“We are thrilled and moved to see Charles Schulz’s iconic characters share their irrepressible joy with patients at Netcare Christiaan Barnard Memorial and other hospitals around the world,” said Roz Nowicki, Executive Vice President of Peanuts Worldwide. “At a time when we all need hope and humour, we believe he would be thrilled to know that his work is bringing both to adults and children across the globe.”

“We are grateful and delighted to receive the gift of Snoopy thanks to Peanuts Worldwide and the Foundation for Hospital Art,” said Daniel Matthew, acting general manager at Netcare Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital. “Snoopy represents the best of all of us—imagination, confidence, resilience, and of course, enormous good humour!—and this is exactly what we’d like every person to feel as they walk through our doors. We couldn’t be more pleased.”

The mural at Netcare Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital is one of 70 murals provided at no cost to hospitals on six continents as part of a new “Take Care With Peanuts” Hospital Mural Program initiative that launched on October 1 at One Brooklyn Health at Brookdale Hospital in New York and CHOC Children’s Hospital of Orange County in California, as part of the 70th anniversary of Charles Schulz’s iconic comic strip. 

The robust, multi-pronged initiative, whose themes come directly from Schulz’s strips, encourages everyone to “Take Care of Yourself,” “Take Care of Each Other,” and “Take Care of the Earth.” Among the other hospitals participating are Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital in Toronto, Canada; Hôpital Necker Enfants Malades in Paris, France; and National Center for Children’s Health, Beijing Children’s Hospital in Beijing, China. 

“Our non-profit initiative is dedicated to making hospital visits a friendlier, more hope-filled experience for patients through the power of art – and who can do that more effectively than Peanuts?” said Scott Feight, Executive Director, Foundation for Hospital Art. “Charles Schulz created indelible characters who bring joy to all who see them, which is why Peanuts is such a perfectly aligned partner for the Foundation for Hospital Art.”