April 2012

Brenda Friesen, Family Member, Kidney Cancer
Companions on the Journey

Brenda Friesen lives in Calgary, Alberta, with her parents and two dogs. She has a developmental delay and is on the autism spectrum, and enjoys using art to express what she and others are feeling from her standpoint of a person with autism.

In 2006, Brenda's aunt was diagnosed with cancer in one kidney. The kidney was removed and her aunt has been cancer-free since that time. Brenda's aunt often comes to visit and the two of them share a close, loving relationship.

Brenda's love of animals is conveyed in her artwork, Companions on the Journey, featured in April in the 2011-2012 Expressions of Hope calendar. The piece illustrates the bond that exists between humans and animals. The heart represents the love that flows between the animal and the person. Our pets comfort us, calm us, accept us for who we are at any given moment, are loyal companions, and have a healing effect on us as we journey through any life event. This, in itself, gives us strength and hope.

More information about the Expressions of Hope calendar is available at www.cancer.net/expressionsofhope.