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In January 2020, Suzanne Zabawsky and Linda Ann Weber sent in their Brushes with Cancer Chicago applications with one request: they be matched together.  The two go back to 1979, when they first met in college as freshmen living in the same dormitory. The two instantly connected and spent college years by each other’s side, […]

    Sharon Arffa had her art world and she had her psychology world. The two never intersected and she figured it would always be that way. Until she was introduced to Twist Out Cancer.  Arffa studied both psychology and art in college but eventually had to pick between two loves.  “I loved it,” she

  While Kathleen Brown was going through her cancer journey, she was completely overwhelmed by get-well cards. They came in droves and collected in Hefty bags. There were so many that some were never opened.  Brown was 13 and a week away from beginning eighth grade when she was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare

Elisha-Rio P. Apilado’s first Brushes with Cancer was as an artist. Now, she’s seeing the other side of the experience as an Inspiration.  Currently in school for art therapy, Apilado thought her talents could be useful as a 2019 Chicago Brushes with Cancer artist. Additionally, she had a very personal connection to the cause. In

Melissa Burgess was up against her biggest challenge to date as an artist: creating a piece for a mother experiencing the most profound loss possible.  As a Brushes with Cancer Chicago participant, Burgess was tasked with capturing Staci Greenfield’s cancer journey with her daughter, Juliana.  Diagnosed with advanced neuroblastoma in 2018, Juliana – who affectionately

  Total opposites often make for the best pairings, and that’s what happened when Twist Out Cancer matched Inspiration Joni Goldstein and Artist Nancy Rosen.  “Joni is very bedazzled. I am not bedazzled, I am the opposite,” Rosen said. The two connected instantly and found out they have more in common than they thought. A

When it came time for Twist Out Cancer to come up with its tagline, Kenny Lapins was the one who encapsulated TOC’s mission in just three words: Share. Connect. Heal.  Lapins, an artist, writer and non-hodgkin’s lymphoma survivor, has a 10-year history with Twist. A few years after he wrote the famous tagline, Lapins began

This year has given us enough things to worry about, so we want to make the holidays a bit simpler for our friends. The Twist Out Cancer shop is a great place to pick up unique gifts for anyone on your list, including those hard-to-shop-for people.  When you purchase an item from our shop, your

Twist Out Cancer, an international non-profit charitable organization that  provides psychosocial support to individuals touched by cancer through creative arts programming,  announced today that it is hosting a virtual Brushes With Cancer event for those touched by cancer in the  Chicago area on Saturday, November 14, at 7 p.m. Brushes with Cancer is a unique

While Sonya Keshwani was diagnosed with breast cancer at 29, she wasn’t prepared for how hair loss can affect so many women, including herself.  “Women don’t have options that make them feel beautiful and confident during hair loss,” Keshwani said. “Things that are out there make you look like a cancer patient, and I wanted