October 4, 2006
Oak Bluffs Girl Designs A Holiday Card for Dana-Farber's 2006 Greeting Card
Collection to Help Fight Cancer
The holiday season is fast approaching and 7th grader Hannah Vanderlaske of Oak Bluffs can't wait. It has been a tough year for the 12-year-old who was diagnosed with cancer more than a year ago, but she knows when she checks the mail around Christmas this year she may see one of her own designs on a holiday card.
Vanderlaske created an original card for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute 2006 exclusive holiday card collection. On the cover there is a picture of a snowman and Christmas tree inside a snow globe. The card says "Happy Holidays" on the front, and "May this be a season to remember and treasure", on the inside.
Vanderlaske visits Dana-Farber once a month for a check-up. She has been battling Ewing's sarcoma, a form of cancer that forms in bone or soft tissue and is common in children and young adults. The cancer was in her spinal chord, touching on her right lung. Right now, Vanderlaske is feeling good, and definitely in high spirits.
"Everything could have been so negative, but creating a greeting card was a chance for Hannah to use her artistic ability and find something positive in a difficult year," says Vanderlaske's mother, Amy Wallace. "I am grateful. She learned to take her illness and connect with other people. She is giving back to the Jimmy Fund. Hannah was so happy to see the final product. It makes her feel famous."
Vanderlaske's card is one of 15 exciting designs in the collection. In all, two patients created cards, with the others done by local artists. Each set includes 15 cards, with 16 envelopes for just $20. Proceeds support cancer research that is used by physicians around the world, and treatment for adults and children at Dana-Farber.
The collection includes cards for all occasions to wish friends and family a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, or Happy New Year. Some designs are more traditional with winter photos of the Boston Custom House or Frog Pond. Plus, there are Red Sox and Patriots cards perfect for any New England sports enthusiast.
The entire 2006 Holiday Card Collection is now available to view and buy online at www.jimmyfund.org/holiday. After Columbus Day the cards will be sold at Crate & Barrel retail stores throughout New England, and starting Nov. 1, the cards will be sold in the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute lobby at 44 Binney Street, Boston.
Contact:
Elizabeth Chernack
Phone: 617-632-4687
E-mail: Elizabeth_chernack@dfci.harvard.edu
