Photovoice Exhibit The Young Adult Cancer Survivor Photovoice Exhibit

We are guided by a trifold purpose for this project:

1. Evoke empathetic awareness of the impact of young adult cancer on the psychosocial well-being and achievement of development milestones.
2. Amplify the wisdom of young adult cancer survivors through their portraits of the integration of self-identities and the restoration of life’s purpose and hope.
3. Help young cancer survivors cope with the complexities of the future due to multifaceted uncertainty and never-ending fear by portraying the systemic challenges and opportunities they may face.

This self-portrait captures the emotional and physical weight of starting chemotherapy treatments while already living with chronic illness. Surrounded by bottles, labels, and prescriptions on her bedside table, she sits overwhelmed by the flood of new medications and the uncertainty they bring. The image reflects the isolating, relentless routine of medical management and the constant search for relief that never fully arrives. It speaks to the invisibility of suffering, the exhaustion of self-advocacy, and the erosion of identity that illness often demands.

This self-portrait was taken during an infusion treatment. The image captures the quiet duality of existing in both a medical space and a complex inner world. The mirror becomes more than a reflection — it’s a portal to the version of herself who endures silently, holds it all together, and watches her appearance shift for survival. It’s a meditation on presence, identity, and on what it means to see yourself not just as a patient, but as a person still trying to recognize who you are becoming.

I hope to keep on performing, teaching, and taking auditions. Since my cancer diagnosis, I have started to think more about what I’m looking forward to in life. I am hoping for a fulfilling life post-cancer treatment.

Living with cancer is like walking through life with a shadow that never lifts. Even on your best days, when you feel strong or hopeful, there’s a dark cloud trailing just behind you. It’s invisible to others, but you can always feel it. It’s in the quiet moments, the sudden exhaustion, the check-up dates that never really stop, and the small aches that spark big fears.

You’re never “done.” There’s no finish line, no moment where you can fully exhale. There might be remission, but that doesn’t mean release. It’s more like a pause in a storm you know could start again at any time. You learn to smile, to work, to laugh—but part of you is always waiting, always watching, bracing for the next scan, the next symptom, the next “what if.” And yet, you keep going. You carry the cloud, not because you chose to, but because you have to. And somehow, even in the darkness, you find ways to let in light.

Voices
Chemotherapy enhanced my hearing; it also enhanced the opinions of others.

Stay Seated
This wheelchair brings back so many memories. I didn’t want a chair, but I needed a chair.

Engaging with art during my cancer recovery gave me the opportunity to
Learn to quiet my judgmental voice
Learn to find beauty in darkness
Learn to stop letting perfection get in the way of “good enough”
& finally;
Learn that it is okay to take this time to be.

Sometimes I feel fierce, strong, bold, and brave. Sometimes I feel like blending in.

Focusing my attention inward while my loved ones continue to look out.

On bad days, I like to take a drive and sit by Lake Michigan. No matter what the weather is, it always looks beautiful and allows me time to reflect and reset.

I truly enjoyed the six weeks with the photovoice group, and I am so grateful for the experience. Each week reassured me that if I keep coming back (like this misplaced tulip), I will be safe, and I am allowed to let myself bloom.

Last (Wo)Man Standing: I am aware of the ghosts that walk with me, and I am aware of the darkness I try to carry off on my back.

Third Eye Things Doctors Can’t See

Lost in Medication: A wall of prescription bottles, through which only one of the subject’s eyes is visible. Her life now run by meds, how easy it is to lose herself through the aftermath of cancer treatments… (self-portrait photograph)

Pearls of Wisdom: Once she fell off the map of her major cancer treatments, this survivor had to find her way through the abyss and forge her own sinuous path ahead. She found some pearls along the way as she joined YA cancer groups, explored art therapy, gained insights into herself, and new perspectives on the world around her. (paper collage, oil pastel, ink, and coloured pencil)