© 2005-2012 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). All rights reserved worldwide.
Shirley Bianca Louise Mueseler, Cancer Survivor, Breast Cancer
Relief
Shirley Bianca's Relief is one of many slides in a series she created with gouache and oil paint called Message of Hope. The series expresses the myriad of emotions she experienced after being first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2000.
“Breast cancer changed my life completely,” Shirley said. “One of my new challenges was paintingâ¦I found a teacher who encouraged me to âhave my fling' on the canvas and enjoy the freedom of painting. One day I discovered between my images motifs, which were created apparently in my subconsciousâ¦my feelings, emotions of my healing.”
And so, Message of Hope was born, “with the aim to encourage affected women,” Shirley said. “That would be a great task, because worldwide there are one million new breast cancer cases per year.”
About the featured slide, Relief, she said: “The title of my painting means hope after living through fear, turmoil, quo vadis...With this painting, centered on expression of feelings and emotions, I would like to share my experience in the healing of this illness. To encourage women and men in their fight against breast cancer, to take their fear away for a couple of minutes and say: âNever give up, always think you can.'”
Shirley does her part to encourage other breast cancer patients and survivors with her story; since 2005, she has been volunteering at the non-profit organization ZEBRA, a Breast Cancer Counseling Center in Düsseldorf, Germany.
More information about the Expressions of Hope calendar is available at www.cancer.net/expressionsofhope.