In January, 2023 I was diagnosed with a rare form of sarcoma and a recurrence in 2024. After 36 radiation treatments, four chemo infusions and two surgeries, I was physically and emotionally changed. The physical deficits were easier to identify and treat than the emotional.

Family and community support are fundamental to my recovery. Additionally, art has proven to be an invaluable emotional outlet for me. I’m able to externalize those worries and realizations rather than letting them cycle endlessly in my thoughts.

Not everyone has the support system that I did. Luckily, there are organizations that provide crucial support to cancer patients through those most difficult times of treatment and recovery. Two of those that have resonated with me and I want to support are Reel Recovery and Living Journeys.

Reel Recovery provides a welcoming outdoor space where men with cancer can come together and build community - something that is often hard for us to do. Living Journeys provides financial assistance, emotional support, and enrichment programs to Gunnison County, Colorado residents affected by cancer, including one of my best friends, Laci.

These organizations rely on fundraising donations, so I will donate 10% of my art sales to support their work in those communities that are important to me.