During the month of November, Susan Hope Schaffer, artist and cancer survivor, had her work, “Visons of Hope” exhibited at the Anderson Campus of St. Luke’s Hospital.

Twenty intimate portraits depicting raw emotions, hope and camaraderie hung on the walls of the facility’s Cancer Center in Bethlehem Township, each with a corresponding plaque and a personal story of that survivor.

“Each painting reflects the individual’s survivor/patient’s journey through their eyes...” Schaffer explained.

Susan was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004. The Bethlehem resident notes the diagnosis was terrifying, but she thanks the doctors, nurses and staff at St. Luke’s Hospital for playing a vital role in her therapy, treatment and ultimately, her recovery.

The St. Luke’s staff provided her with the encouragement and information she sought to always take the appropriate next steps. With her family’s encouragement, Susan would retreat to her studio and find comfort in her art.

Coming from a very large family, Susan credits her mother for cultivating her talent, something that was not fully utilized until she was undergoing treatment.

“It was my cancer journey that woke me up and made me realize that I have this ability to help others,” she said.

Susan began to interview other patients who were going through similar journeys and depicted their experiences on canvas.

“Cancer was horrendous. It was tumultuous. I cried and I screamed inside … but I found a way to get through it and that way was through my art.”

She hopes that people walked away from her “Visions of Hope” exhibit thinking, “That person survived. They made a difference.”