Name
Eileen Mumford

Brain Tumor Type
Craniopharyngioma

Date of Diagnosis
August 2017

Age Group (If you are a caregiver/family member please check Caregiver/Family Member)
Caregiver/Family Member

Category
Multimedia/2D/3D

Artist Statement (include type of art, techniques & materials used, what it means to you)
My son Will and I recently took a class together at a local art center to make beautiful cutting boards. Will is a 20 year old craniopharyngioma survivor. He was diagnosed in 2017 at age 14.

In the class, we learned about different varieties of wood and chose which type we wanted to use. I used cherry, mahogany, maple and walnut. After deciding the widths of the wood strips and arranging them, I glued the pieces together, clamped them and waited a week for the glue to dry. With assistance from our teacher, I cut the edges, planed the surfaces and routed the edges to round then off. I spent over an hour sanding the edges and surfaces before covering the board with mineral oil, bringing out the colors of the wood.
While this isn't an expressive piece of artwork, it was very therapeutic learning a new skill, working with my hands, meeting new people and spending time with my son.

Bio (include your age, tumor type and date of diagnosis)
I am a caregiver for my son Will who is a craniopharyngioma survivor. This is my first time entering. Will has entered Art of Surviving every year since it began. We enjoy seeing at all entries every year and appreciate all RAWF does for our survivors and their families.