Showers of Hope
by Karen Ott Meyer
A tall, lithe woman
with a stunning smile, Karen Sudduth grins when she talks about art.
Conversely, when she talks about her cancer and the Wings Cancer
Foundation, her emotions erupt in tears and laughter as she shares her
story. Sudduth compares a cancer diagnosis to a heavy, wet sweater that
weights and becomes misshapen. “Cancer gets you down to the nitty,
gritty and a rediscovering of who you are.
”Diagnosed
with breast cancer in 2006 at age 50, Sudduth underwent a bilateral
mastectomy and subsequent treatment at The West Clinic. While there,
Sudduth noticed the Wings Gallery filled with art. “It struck a chord
of hope within me. I decided that I wanted a way to express my journey
and I decided to do a painting every three weeks during my six
treatments,” says Sudduth.
What
happened amazes even Sudduth. Not only did she complete more than six
paintings, this musician and singer felt her initial need grow into an
effort to help others struggling to cope with a cancer
diagnosis. Sudduth wanted her diagnosis to matter. “Everyone reacts
differently, but I didn’t want this to just be a bump in the road. I
wanted the experience to make a difference in my own perspective and how
I looked at life.”
At
the start of her treatment and guided by the Wings staff, Sudduth
discovered the labyrinth. It would become a place of refuge, renewal,
and inspiration. Sudduth recalls her first labyrinth experience. “Once
outside, I chose a bench in the sun and sat down, aware of the quiet
songs of birds and the coo of a mourning dove, and I opened the "Wings
Labyrinth" pamphlet given me by Sally. Silent tears of gratitude began
to pour as I prayed the prayer in the front of the book. Right there,
as I read, I knew the reality of the perfect, redemptive, transcendent
love of God, who reveals himself to us, inspires us with creativity and
compassion, and makes a way for us to be light, love, and hope to
others. And I knew, too, that I was on holy ground.”
Someone
who has always been drawn to creative and artistic expression, Sudduth
continued to visit and walk the labyrinth throughout her treatment,
drawing strength from its very existence. During the same time period,
she literally put her own art into action when she read an article from
the journal “Cure” about taking art into hospitals. Wings named her the
2008 Artist of the Year and sent her to an artist-in-residence program
in New York, where she learned about bringing art into healthcare
settings.
In
April 2008 as a Wings volunteer, she took the lead in creating an “art
cart”. “I was told I could take this institutional looking cart home
and make it pretty!” says Sudduth. Today, that same cart offers
patients the opportunity to choose from several small projects that
Sudduth views as much more than a project. “Chemo kills to bring us
back to life. I want other people to have the chance to create
something to take home.” As she has approached other patients with the
art cart, she has learned that everyone reacts differently, but that art
and the cart have become, at the very least, a means of conversation
and connection.
She
remembers her days at The West Clinic, never dreading the visits for
one primary reason. “It is an environment of hope. I have such deep
gratitude for the physicians and staff and women that all came before me
and for all the research.” Smiling through glistening tears, Sudduth
knows another truth for sure. “The bottom truth is that sometimes,
medicine fails. Love never fails. Wings brings that love and
encouragement. Hope never disappoints.”
For this cancer survivor, art has become as much a part of her healing
as the physical treatments, and her one hope, is that others will also
experience that connection.
Karen Sudduth is a local artist and survivor