With Purpose Long Beach and Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital

Showcase Art by Youth Cancer Patients

Hope can be the strongest remedy for children battling cancer with limited treatment options. On Sunday, March 11, California State University, Long Beach’s Bateman Team (With Purpose Long Beach) hosted “Create With Purpose,” a charity art show featuring the work of patients at the Jonathan Jaques Children’s Cancer Center at MemorialCare Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital. All of the artwork was for sale and all proceeds benefited nonprofit organization With Purpose and Miller Children’s Hospital.

Jennifer, a 15-year-old patient at Miller’s Children’s Hospital, came to see her artwork be admired. Jennifer created a warm-toned landscape painting featuring a young girl on a swing. “The little girl is happy and she is free of all worries,” said Jennifer.

Another notable artist is 17-year-old Jesse, who created a colorful, interpretive piece. Jesse says the picture is a representation of her time at Miller’s Children’s Hospital.

“The fetus inside the brain represents the development of the tumor I was born with. The glowing hand represents my moment of clarity and revelation I felt for the first time that I really needed help from God,” Jesse said. “The colorful background represents how beautiful I saw the world after I had my experience.”

The art show pieces boasted a wide variety of colors, concepts and mediums, but holding onto hope seemed to be the universal theme. The art show was a success and had over 80 people in attendance.

With Purpose is a youth and community-led movement working to support initiatives that advance research in childhood cancer treatments. The movement began in 2014, when With Purpose founder Erin Benson’s son Sam, passed away from DIPG, a form of fatal brain cancer. The parents were told the best modern medicine could offer Sam was one more year of life. And because he was only two years old, he was not eligible for clinical trials. The lack of treatment options for childhood cancer shocked the parents and they began With Purpose to help other children battling cancer.

To support With Purpose, you can make a tax-deductible contribution at: bit.ly/donationlb.

For more information please visit: Facebook.com/withpurposeLB, or contact Bianca Granado, LBSU Bateman Team Leader, at withpurposelb@gmail.com.