Building a Dream, One Picture at a Time

By Marilyn Gayler Axelrod

(Published May/June 1998)

 

As I sat huddled in a three-way hug with my husband, Dan, and my daughter, Hilary, tears still not dry from hearing, "You have breast cancer," I felt a driving anger. And with that anger, I silently vowed to create something in the world that would be equally as positive a force as the cancer is negative. I realized I had no choice about getting cancer, but I did have a choice about becoming a victim. Victims are caught inside a box of hopelessness. There must be a way out of the box — for myself and the others!

 

I envisioned a "wall of hope" composed entirely of color portraits of survivors of breast cancer. The wall would carry a message of love and hope to all survivors, their families and friends. It would inspire others to action, as they realized the urgency of finding a cure for this disease and all cancers.

 

It has been almost another four years since the dream emerged and became the Wall of Hope Breast Cancer Survivors' Project. The first six events were produced simultaneously to launch the Project in October 1994. To date, we've held more than 30 photo-gathering events in cities up and down California, and one in Dallas. More than 60 cities are represented on the Wall of Hope, with survivors from 25 to 92 years old and of every ethnic background. Presently, we have collected more than 700 photographs, which means our spring exhibitions will show a wall of pictures more than 100 feet in length.

 

A typical event lasts two days, and we enroll between 40 and 60 people. Each enrollee gets a full glamour treatment, from application of makeup, to hair or wig enhancement, to selection from hundreds of props. We carry props ranging from denim to ballroom looks with hats and jewelry to match. Our contracted photographers are specialists in glamour events and are willing to travel. 

 

People often ask me how long someone has to have survived breast cancer to have their picture added to the exhibit. The only qualification is that they've heard those life-changing words, "You have breast cancer." Underneath each portrait is the name of the survivor, his or her age at diagnosis, the year of diagnosis, and the number of years survived at the time of the photo. As the exhibit ages, we are informed of individuals who have passed on. Their picture does not come off the Wall; rather, we honor them with a pink ribbon placed on the upper right-hand corner of their picture, showing their birth and passing years and their age. This, of course, is very meaningful to families who have lost a loved one.

 

Bernie Calden, a nurse from Redwood City, CA, attended an event as a breast cancer survivor. She was joined in her pictures by her daughter, Caren, and her baby granddaughter. "It really turned out to be a much deeper experience than I dreamed. A lot of that had to do with the fact that my daughter was there also. After all I have gone through in the nearly eight years since my diagnosis and treatment, I had no idea of the positive impact participating in the Wall of Hope photography event would have on myself and my family." Calden continues to explain, "I heard the transactions between the women, and the genuine camaraderie, and their victorious attitude in the face of having collectively gone through hell. It was very inspirational to be there."

 

The near-term goal of the Wall of Hope is to gain the participation of every state, with each state amassing panels to the Wall that total about 100 feet in length. Then all the states can join together and take their panels to Washington, D.C., for a mile-long showing. This goal is perfectly attainable, since with 1.6 million breast cancer survivors in the country today, we could theoretically form a Wall of Hope 42 miles long.

 

It has taken three and one-half years for the pictures from California to break the 100-foot mark for the Wall; however, as word spreads, each state that joins in can probably expect to complete their 100-foot contribution in two years or less. It takes only 750 survivors' portraits to complete a 100-foot section for the exhibit. Let's call for the mile-long Wall of Hope in Washington, D.C., by the year 2000 or sooner. The Wall will call attention to our next dream: a third millennium in which cancer doesn't exist.

 

Editor's Note: Marilyn Gayler Axelrod is the founder and coordinator for the Wall of Hope Breast Cancer Survivors' Project in Davis, CA.

 

Action! To find out if there is a Wall of Hope in your state, call 1-800-375-2848, see the Wall website at http://www.wallofhope.org, or send e-mail to info@wallofhope.org.