Embrace is inspired by the experience of a patient Alyssa worked with who had acute promyelocytic leukemia (APML). When this patient was diagnosed, her daughter was only eighteen months old and her son was nine. Throughout her journey as a patient, she described a strong support system as central to her perseverance in the face of illness. Specifically, her husband was an invaluable source of strength during this time. As she faced endless tests, uncertainty, and isolation, they leaned on one another for support and found ways to spend time as a family. They are both Christian and have backgrounds in clinical psychology–two factors that were integral in helping them process their circumstances. After spending over a month as an inpatient, she was released from the hospital and continued with consolidation treatments for several months. She has now been in remission for eight years. This piece focuses on the interpersonal aspect of her story: specifically, the concept that relationships are an invaluable source of warmth, hope, and light in the face of uncertainty.
About the Artist: Alyssa Henriquez
Alyssa Henriquez has been drawing, painting, and writing since she was young. In college, she majored in English Literature and Biochemistry, and loved learning about art and science side by side. This past year, she participated in the Moral Movements in Medicine course at Duke, which allowed her to continue engaging with the humanities as she studies medicine. SCOPES has likewise been a wonderful way for her to bridge these two worlds and deeply reflect on her patient’s experiences while creating art. As Alyssa continues her medical education, she hopes to further explore the intersections between art and medicine along every step of the way.
