Name
Sharon Pitcher

Brain Tumor Type
Craniopharyngioma

Date of Diagnosis
May 21, 2014

Participant Group
Caregiver/Family Member

Category
Drawing/Painting/Printmaking/Chalk Art

Artist Statement (include type of art, techniques & materials used, what it means to you)
My grandson, Alex Wood, has been very sick this year. He has been in intensive care fighting for his life numerous times. He is very dear to me, but there is little a grandma can do to make him better. My faith in the Lord is very strong so I found myself creating this prayer corner. I am a practicing Catholic and lighting candles in church to pray for a special intention has been a tradition for me. So I created my own votive candles display. In the mornings when I pray for Alex I light candles for him with intentions like "Please, Lord, help the doctors find out what is causing him to be so sick". The candles send my prayer up to the Heavens, but also remind me to continue praying during the day,

This painting was done in watercolor and ink. In addition to the candles, I included a shelf in the corner with a piece of pottery on it that was made by a special friend of mine that died of cancer. She fought an incredible fight before she couldn't fight anymore. She was an inspiration on how to turn your journey over to the Lord. In the front are the spiritual books I read and an oyster shell with a candle in it that Alex made for me this Easter. On either side of the table are windows that look out to the beautiful scenery in my neighborhood which inspires me as pray.

Artist Bio: Tell Us Your Story
I am Alex Wood's grandmother for whom this Foundation was named. Amy Wood is my daughter. I am very proud of the both of them. My husband and I were with Amy and her husband, Shawn, when Alex was operated on for his tumor at the age of four. When the doctor came out and told us that he was able to get all the tumor and he was sure it was benign, we were relieved and just expected him too wake up and be fine. That is far from what happened as many of you, who have dealt with this, know.

I have always been very close to Alex and my daughter. During the summers before his operation, I lived at the Ocean City beach near them. Alex spent many hours with Grandma at her beach house. I truly treasure those days.

For the last ten years since Alex's tumor surgery, he has been helicoptered to ICUs more times than I can count. At first he would go to Hopkins in Baltimore near where we lived and we would meet the helicopter. I can still remember one of the early times that they wouldn't let his parents on the helicopter and when I entered the room, he just cried, "Grandma". Eventually we moved closer to my daughter so we could be there if she needed us. In the last nine months, he has been diagnosed with pneumonia at least ten times. He has been so sick that he can hardly talk or walk. He has been helicopter to CHOP in Philadelphia at least six times with long stays in ICU. The joy he usually has in life is buried under pain and just not being able to do the simple things he loves.

They have recently finally diagnosed what has been causing the pneumonia. As many of you that have been active with RAWF know, my daughter, Amy, is an incredible advocate for her son and all your sons and daughters. Amy, though, spent many, many hours advocating for better health care for Alex with frustrating results. Hopefully, now the doctors will finally come up with a plan to bring Alex back to his happy, joy-filled self. Alex doesn't expect too much out of life. He just likes to shop (proudly, he inherited that from me), go to school, go out for ice cream, and do crafts. My prayer now is that he will be able to all of these things again soon.