Name
Seanne King-Mosley

Brain Tumor Type
Craniopharyngioma

Date of Diagnosis
April 12, 2024

Participant Group
Caregiver/Family Member

Category
Photography/Digital Art

Artist Statement (include type of art, techniques & materials used, what it means to you)
All the way back to poloroids on the bedroom wall, photo collages have been a favorite art expression for me. I created them digitally under different platforms for many years. Often as a celebration or shout out for birthdays and special occasions in our lives. For this collage I used the PicCollage app allowing me to incorporate the flower stickers and doodled brain tumor awareness ribbons. I created the center collage for Kaya’s 11th birthday last June, 6 weeks after she had brain surgery to remove a Craniopharyngioma brain tumor. I selected multiple photos throughout her life to celebrate her sweet personality and show how resilient she has been even before her diagnosis. The center photo is her 4th grade school picture taken 8 or so months before diagnosis. The photo to the left of that is of her a couple weeks after surgery while still in the hospital. The outer collage of 8 photos shows a small sampling of some beautiful moments for Kaya and our family since her diagnosis and surgery April of 2024. I titled it Be Strong for Kaya in reference to her tshirt design request. The day after her surgery we asked her what she wanted on her shirt. She said “can it say be strong for Kaya?”, a statement she had heard her dad say several times leading up to her surgery. In our toughest moments through this past year we’ve had no choice but to Be Strong for Kaya. And although this collage doesn’t show it, I feel it’s important to acknowledge that there is a huge community of friends, family, neighbors, educators, therapist, and strangers near and far that have helped us to do that in so many ways.

Artist Bio: Tell Us Your Story
I’m the mother of 6. I enjoy creating beaded jewelry, painting, photography, and digital art along with other random crafts. This past year since Kaya’s diagnosis and brain surgery I haven’t spent as much time creating but every day and month that passes with her recovery I become more encouraged to dive back into it.