Phoenix Children’s Hospital Names Patient Artists, Artwork for 2008 Holiday Cards

Artwork Sales Supports State’s Largest Pediatric Provider of Cancer Services

PHOENIX, Ariz. - The countdown to the holiday season has begun with only 124 days remaining until December 25, 2008. It’s not too early for Arizonans to start thinking about which holiday greetings to mail this year. Phoenix Children’s announces the patient artists and their holiday card designs for the 2008 Art Project, supporting the Hospital’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders. This is the 22th Anniversary for the Card Project.

Alma Cristine Chandler, age 18, was diagnosed with leukemia earlier this year. Unfortunately, this isn’t  the first time Alma became more familiar with a hospital than she wanted to. At age 12 she was injured in a fire and suffered burns over 22 percent of her body. But, Alma is a fighter…and not just figuratively. She’s also a two-time state champion in Judo. This resilient teen is currently undergoing chemotherapy, and says that someday she wants to be a pediatric nurse so she can work with kids who have cancer. She knows her own experiences will help to inspire them and keep them positive. Until that time, Alma isn’t going to let her treatments stop her from doing the things she enjoys, like playing the guitar, drawing, and writing poetry. She says the challenges she’s faced have taught her to appreciate life more, as well as her family and friends who have been by her side through it all.

Tyler Christine Danner is 12 years old and was diagnosed with eye cancer in 2007. Within 10 days of her diagnosis, she had surgery and started chemotherapy. One of her biggest allies was her grandmother. When Tyler began to lose her hair, her grandmother shaved her head too so they could put the hair together in a Build-a-Bear stuffed animal they named Hairy-et. After 43 weeks of chemotherapy and 25 radiation treatments, Tyler is now cancer free. She says she didn’t like feeling sick and tired, but even then, she managed to pull straight A’s in school. Tyler loves arts and crafts, reading and swimming. Her family describes her as high-spirited and funny. Even though it was difficult watching their child fight cancer, they’re proud of how brave she was. “I don’t think an adult could have handled it with any more grace or strength,” says her mom.

Seven year old Adam Isaiah Garay’s card represents the things that remind him of what he missed last Christmas when he was confined to his room, preparing for and recovering from a bone marrow transplant. He drew a hat because he didn’t have hair and snowman because he would dream of playing in the snow. The snow globe represents an actual one he had in his room as he waited out those long months until he recovered. Adam was diagnosed at age 5 with leukemia. Today, he’s back to doing the things he loves, like eating hamburgers and pizza, drawing, playing Wii, and rooting for his favorite team, the Arizona Diamondbacks. His dad and mom, Adam and Connie, say that their son handled having cancer all better than they did. The only thing Adam complained about were the daily shots his parents needed to give him as he prepared for transplant. Even then, he would comfort his mom and dad by telling them that the shots weren’t their fault. “He’s a super kid and has the best attitude in the world,” says his dad.

At 8-years-old doctors found a tumor behind Kelsey Gillis’ right sinus cavity after she started complaining of blurry vision. It was a highly malignant cancer that was growing rapidly. After 10 months of chemotherapy, fourteen year old Kelsey is cancer free. Today she’s an honor student and a busy teen who sings in the choir, dances, twirls the baton and plays the piano. She has a passion now for giving back, and is involved with fundraisers for Phoenix Children’s and other organizations that help kids diagnosed with cancer. In fact, this isn’t the first year Kelsey’s artwork was picked for the Holiday Art Project. She created a card when she was 9, and laments that everyone thought her flying blue bird she drew six years ago was a turkey. Today, Kelsey has 20/20 vision, and in hindsight says that she wouldn’t change a thing; her experiences have made her who she is today.

Late last year Adriana Ruiz, age 15, was diagnosed with cancer of the sinuses. Since that time, she’s had five surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation. Today she is in remission. Adriana likes sushi, biking, photography, and just hanging out with her friends. She admits she wasn’t frightened while battling cancer and says it was more like an “inconvenience.” She didn’t like missing school and her friends. In fact, her parents say she was so stoic they weren’t sure if she understood the seriousness of it. She did. She’s just tough. Adriana now looks up to other cancer survivors, and is grateful that she got to know other kids at Phoenix Children’s who were battling the same disease.

Retail packages are $10 for 15 cards and available at Valley Bashas’ and AJ stores, and online at www.phoenixchildrensartproject.com beginning November 1. Businesses statewide are invited get involved with the annual Art Project. For a $1,000 donation, businesses select a patient’s original holiday drawing and help support programs and services at the Hospital’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders. Corporate donations fund scholarship programs for cancer survivors, research, state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment and lab services, family and community education programs, and a week-long summer camp for kids with cancer. Phoenix Children’s provides these services at no-cost to families.

For more information, contact Elaine Falkner, Phoenix Children’s Hospital’s Foundation, at efalkner@phoenixchildrens.com  or (602) 546-2659. 

The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Phoenix Children’s is the largest provider of hematology and oncology care in Arizona. The Center’s mission is to offer the highest quality, comprehensive, family centered care to patients and their families. Phoenix Children’s offer state-of-the-art pediatric cancer management to almost half of Arizona’s children diagnosed with malignancies and/or life-threatening hematologic diseases. The Center is affiliated with Children’s Oncology Group, an international group of more than 114 leading children’s hospitals engaged in laboratory and clinical research to find the best therapy for childhood malignancies.  Through individual and corporate contributions, the Center is able to provide new research options, educational opportunities, financial assistance and psychosocial support for Arizona children and their families.

About Phoenix Children’s Hospital
Phoenix Children’s Hospital is Arizona’s only licensed children’s hospital, providing world-class care in more than 40 pediatric specialties to our state’s sickest kids. Though Phoenix Children’s is one of the ten largest freestanding children’s hospitals in the country, rapid population growth in Arizona means the Hospital must grow as well. Phoenix Children’s recently announced a $588 million expansion plan to bring its special brand of family-centered care to even more patients and families. The plan includes a significant upgrade of the Hospital’s current campus, an aggressive physician recruitment effort, and new satellite centers in high growth areas of the Valley. For more information, visit the Hospital’s Web site at www.phoenixchildrens.com.