Adrienne doesn’t remember much about her treatment at St. Jude because she was so young. She was diagnosed with ALL, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, in 1979. At that point, St. Jude hadn’t even been open 20 years.

The long-term effects of chemotherapy made her struggle in school, and Adrienne found refuge in creating art. As she says, no one graded her artwork, or said she was doing it wrong. She nurtured that love of art as she got older, and she graduated with a degree in graphic design.

Now she has two kids who are nearly grown up, an art studio and home, and she works with St. Jude patients to help them express what they’re experiencing through art. She knows firsthand the power of making something with your hands to show the world what you’re feeling.

Donate to St. Jude: www.stjude.org/donate

Transcript available HERE.

Credits Host: Joel Alsup
Recorded by: Andres Garcia and Nathan Black
Music production: Kazimir Boyle
Producer: Geoffrey Redick
Editor: Grace Korzekwa Evans
Executive Producer: Louis Graham

This podcast is a production of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.