50th Anniversary Artist Feature - Lara A.

"Art really helped take my mind off of the pain."

------ Lara


Our 2023 wall calendar is the perfect item for the New Year. The months of January and August feature art by Lara. At six years old, Lara was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. Two years later, when she began feeling ill and experiencing pain, her parents initially thought it was related to her autoimmune disease. However, tests and ultrasounds revealed three tumors before Lara was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. She was referred to MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital where she immediately started treatment. During her extended time in the hospital, Lara took part in Children’s Art Project activities, fueling her passion for art. 

Currently in eighth grade, Lara has been in remission for five years. At school, she plays volleyball and the violin, and is also enrolled in art class where she enjoys sculpture, painting, and drawing rotations. Her art is frequently entered into competitions. Lara’s favorite art rotation is sculpture, and firing metal into different shapes or creating wooden sculptures. She sometimes combines both elements to create sculptures made from both metal and wood. 

Her mom says that art was not always a part of Lara’s life. Her interest in art began after coming to MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital and participating with Children’s Art Project and Arts in Medicine. “Art really helped take my mind off the pain,” said Lara, "and it helped with my boredom as well. I always had something to do that also made me feel good. That feeling fed how much I love art now.” Lara is a dedicated artist with big dreams of attending Yale Law School and becoming an attorney. 



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