We want to make your heart smile. Celebrate February and Valentine's Day with some of our most beloved cards, and make sure to grab Rachel's LOVE card. Rachel, 38, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia a few days after her third birthday. At age eight, she had a bone-marrow transplant which resulted in remission. During her time as a patient, she was involved with the Children's Art Project (CAP). Rachel's mom studied painting in college and encouraged Rachel to participate in art classes. Her encouragement allowed them to spend time together. One of the things Rachel liked most about art classes was that they allowed her to have conversations when she felt well, or to learn about diverse cultures and customs from around the world if she was having a difficult day. Art classes gave her a safe space to express herself. 

Rachel is thankful for Children's Art Project. Her participation with the program allowed her to be one of the first recipients of a scholarship sponsored by CAP. She created voice-overs for volunteer videos and was featured in the Children's Cancer Hospital’s rebranding materials. Rachel's art significantly brightened up the Dining Services menus distributed to patient rooms. She loved all the special experiences Children's Art Project and other institutional programs allowed her to have. 

Now a mechanical engineer following in her dad's footsteps, art continues to influence Rachel. She said, "To be a good mechanical engineer, you have to be able to think 3-dimensionally, you have to understand the perspective, and sometimes it's much easier to draw an idea than describe it." She likes being able to visualize an idea and then communicate it. Her time at MD Anderson Children's Cancer Hospital allowed Rachel to express herself creatively and interact with people from all over the world. Adds Rachel, “Those exposures set me up for success!”