All patients are best-served by a community of caring loved ones and professional caretakers. 

Patients facing serious illness and their families need excellent medical care and emotional support, as well as an opportunity to tell their stories. 

This site features some of the artwork created by patients and their loved ones as part of the Comprehensive Care Team (CCT) project -- a comprehensive health care project designed to help support patients facing serious illness.  As part of this project, patients participated in "art experientials" where by they were encouraged to express their feelings and experience of being ill through drawing and collage.  No artistic experience was required, just honest reflection about disease and its impact, identity, connection with others, and the possibility for hope, growth and transformation. 

"The more ill people are, the more willing they are to do art. It doesn't matter if you can't draw,"  says Cindy Perles, the coordinator of the CCT Art Experiential Project.  As one woman with end-stage heart disease explained, "Girl, I haven't drawn anything in 67 years and you got me to!"

This site is organized around three story lines, the patients' story along with those of patients' families and caregivers.  Each story is told by a compilation of images and quotations by different patients, providers, and family members.  The artwork shown may not be reproduced without permission.  Please click on an image below to begin one of the stories...

Family's Story