Integrating Art and Narrative to Enhance Quality of Life in Palliative Care
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Description
Lacie Lee Wallace, a mixed-media artist from Wheeling, West Virginia, is featured on the cover of the Fall 2018 issue of The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy (OJOT). The photograph depicts Lacie holding a self-portrait painted by artist CeCey Rose. Lacie’s physical appearance in photograph is strikingly different from the woman featured in the painting. The portrait was created four years before Lacie was diagnosed with advanced stage colon cancer. In the year following the diagnosis, Lacie lost nearly 100-pounds as the result of an aggressive treatment regimen. When the palliative care team at West Virginia University Memorial Hospital launched a clinical study on narrative medicine, Lacie was one of the first patients to participate. Throughout her illness experience, Lacie found comfort in sharing both her art and life story. Lacie’s personal narrative made it clear just how meaningful art was in her life. Narrative medicine empowered Lacie’s palliative care team to improve patient care and enhance her quality of life.
Keywords
Occupational Therapist, Occupational Therapy, Occupation, Art, Narrative, Palliative Care, Quality of Life, Cancer
Disciplines
Interactive Arts | Occupational Therapy | Oncology | Palliative Care
Recommended Citation
Fortuna, Jennifer MS, OTR/L, "Integrating Art and Narrative to Enhance Quality of Life in Palliative Care" (2018). Open Journal of Occupational Therapy: Occupation and the Artist. 24.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/ojot_occupationandartist/24
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