Ceci Hull

Art Heals The Soul

Connor’s Heroes offers art sessions to children with cancer

Searching for “normal” when your child is diagnosed with childhood cancer can be found in unexpected places. For the Wilkinson family it was the Heroes Art Sessions offered by Connor’s Heroes.

At seven-years-old Anna Wilkinson was just about to begin second grade when she started complaining of headaches and stomach aches. Following several visits to the pediatrician’s office, Anna began having double vision. She was sent for a CT scan.

“I knew it was her brain,” says Anna’s mom, Cynthia.

The CT scan revealed a plum-size tumor in the middle of Anna’s brain. The news devastated her parents. The family was immediately sent to Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU (ChoR). It was September of 2013.

One week after meeting with a pediatric neurosurgeon, Anna underwent surgery to completely remove the brain tumor. The surgery was a success, but what followed would be a testament to Anna and her parents’ ability to push through and overcome a diagnosis of Germinoma, a rare, slow-growing brain cancer that mostly affects children, teens, and young adults.

When Anna awakened from surgery, she could not speak, swallow, sit up, or move the right side of her body. She became septic and was given life-saving antibiotics. As her body recovered, Anna learned she would need to receive both chemotherapy and radiation to fight the cancer.

It was during this time that the Wilkinson family would connect with Connor’s Heroes.

Heroes Art Sessions Connected With Hero Families

Anna’s father, Bill, was with Anna in her hospital room when a representative with Connor’s Heroes came to visit, giving Anna a Heroes Backpack and her dad a Parent Tote.

“I was in disbelief that someone would just drop off a bag full of items that we would need while we were in the hospital,” states Cynthia. She says the family really appreciated the portable DVD player they received as it helped make the trips to and from ChoR as well as the waiting room times easier.

Being home presented its own challenges. Anna could not attend school, gymnastics, or church. She could not visit with her friends. “We felt very alone and isolated,” explains Cynthia.

Meanwhile, Connor’s Heroes was sending the Wilkinson family postcards, inviting them to events open to children receiving cancer treatment. The events and Anna’s ability to attend never matched up early on. Then the day arrived, after months of chemo, radiation, and doctor’s appointments, the Wilkinson family felt ready to attend one of Connor’s Heroes’ art sessions. 

“Art was her favorite class in school and to see her light up over all the beautiful art supplies and blank canvases,” shares Cynthia. “She got to be with kids going through the same thing and looked like her (bald).”

Anna painted her favorite place: the beach. Seeing her paint that day and act “normal” for the first time in a long time brought relief and hope to Anna’s mom.

“She could be herself, be creative, be around other kids,” explains Cynthia. “As parents we started to be able to join a community unlike any other and be able to become vulnerable and share.”

Anna is now 20 and has shown no evidence of cancer since 2014. Treatments have impacted her ability to learn and process quickly, but that has not stopped her from living life to the fullest. Anna attends James Madison University (JMU), travels, exercises, reads, hangs out with friends, and is part of the DACC – Dukes against Childhood Cancer at JMU.

Connor’s Heroes has become a part of the Wilkinson family. They donate their time and money to support other families facing a childhood cancer diagnosis. Anna held a backpack drive for one of her birthdays instead of receiving gifts, and as she has gotten older, she now volunteers at the very Heroes Art Sessions that brought so much normalcy back to her family. 

AUTHOR: Michelle Nunnally

This year marks 20 years that Connor’s Heroes has been a part of the community. Connor’s Heroes is dedicated to helping the families in Central Virginia cope with childhood cancer and our community’s researchers conquer it. Our mission is to build a community of heroes who provide hope, guidance, and support. 📲 Make a gift / 🦸 Support a Hero / 🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒 Join us.

Capturing The Joy

Even in hard times, beauty can be found

When Sarah Lordi grabbed onto the opportunity to photograph Connor’s Heroes’ families whose children are battling childhood cancer, she never imagined the joy she would capture through her camera lens. “My first event was photographing fall family sessions for Hero families,” recalls Lordi. “I expected it to be emotionally heavy, but what surprised me most was the joy.”

Lordi remembers that day as one where the children were laughing, playing and simply being kids. “I realized I wasn’t there to witness sadness,” she explains. “I was there to help create joyful memories and be one of the many people cheering these families on.”

Useing Her Talents To Help Others

The chance to capture beautiful photos of Hero families came when Lordi was intentionally seeking opportunities to use her talent to serve her community. Members of Connor’s Heroes staff discovered Lordi through her social media project – Hope Lives Here. From that first day of photographing Hero families, Lordi has been a constant supporter of Connor’s Heroes and the families it serves.

“Somewhere along the way photography became much more than a career or skill, it became something deeply personal to me and a way to serve, connect, and preserve the moments that matter,” shares Lordi.

Childhood Cancer impacts not only the child learning to meet life as it comes, but the entire family. Lordi believes deeply that you don’t have to share a personal connection to a child or family facing this incredibly unfair diagnosis to give your time, talents, or resources to support the Connor’s Heroes’ families.

“I think the children and families of Connor’s Heroes are showing all of us something incredibly valuable about how to meet life when it doesn’t go according to plan,” says Lordi.

For Lordi and her husband Jacob who are struggling with infertility, Lordi’s work with Connor’s Heroes has reinforced her belief that “when you’re hurting, help someone else.” She has watched Hero moms embrace whatever motherhood has asked of them with extraordinary courage.

AUTHOR: Michelle Nunnally

This year marks 20 years that Connor’s Heroes has been a part of the community. Connor’s Heroes is dedicated to helping the families in Central Virginia cope with childhood cancer and our community’s researchers conquer it. Our mission is to build a community of heroes who provide hope, guidance, and support. 📲 Make a gift / 🦸 Support a Hero / 🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒 Join us.

Making Her Way

Connor’s Heroes supports Central Virginia families through their child’s cancer

During a blissful time of life, a local family received a devastating diagnosis. Samantha Velez was expecting a son any day when the Velez family learned their 15-month-old daughter, Eleanor, had childhood cancer.

Eleanor underwent testing after an ear infection would not heal. Her pediatrician discovered Eleanor’s hemoglobin was critically low. The family was sent to the emergency department at Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU (ChoR) where Eleanor was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) in November 2025.

“In hindsight, she had other symptoms that we didn’t realize were leukemia – exhaustion, kept getting sick, and bone pain,” explains Velez.

Eleanor was admitted to the hospital where her family received a Connor’s Heroes Backpack full of toys and an iPad.

Caring For A Newborn And Toddler In Treatment

While at ChoR, Eleanor received two rounds of induction chemotherapy and went into remission. She was then able to undergo a haploidentical allogenic bone marrow transplant.

“As we were preparing for Eleanor’s discharge, Connor’s Heroes helped us get supplies to better care for Eleanor at home,” explains Velez.

Today, Eleanor is a happy two-year-old who loves to play with dolls, her little brother, and stuffed animals. “She loves medical play and we joke that she is going to be a future nurse,” exclaims Velez.

Eleanor still visits ChoR for her follow-up clinics and her iPad from Connor’s Heroes is not far from her side, but even more exciting is the opportunity to attend Connor’s Heroes art sessions and other events now that she is home.

AUTHOR: Michelle Nunnally

This year marks 20 years that Connor’s Heroes has been a part of the community. Connor’s Heroes is dedicated to helping the families in Central Virginia cope with childhood cancer and our community’s researchers conquer it. Our mission is to build a community of heroes who provide hope, guidance, and support. 📲 Make a gift / 🦸 Support a Hero / 🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒 Join us.

Step Up For Our Carnival Of Fun

Our Summer Send Off was a scorcher, but that didn’t stop hero families from enjoying the first-ever Connor’s Heroes Carnival Of Fun!

Hero families came together for an afternoon of carnival games, crafts, Kona Ice, and River City Wood Fire Pizza. The most popular attraction was our Dunk Tank with two very special guests: Victoria and Martia. These two nurses care for our kiddos when they are in clinic. At the carnival, they climbed into a dunk tank and let those same kids dunk them, over and over. The joy on the kids’ faces as they plunged the nurses into the water was priceless.

Parents said the best part was watching kids who spend so much of their time being brave being just kids. Playing games. Building crafts. Acting silly with each other. No appointments, no medicine — just summer fun.

To every hero family who came out, every volunteer who gave their time, and to Main Line Brewery for partnering with us, thank you.

The party happened thanks to the the volunteers who supported Connor’s Heroes staff: ARCO, Alex G., Amy M., Colleen D., Cecelia M., Commonwealth Event Company, Coleson M., Dani G., Emily O., Emily W., Lily W., Lisa G., Maddie O., Margo A., Michelle P., Martia J., Punks For Presents, RSM, Robin W., Sarah L., Victoria, VCDC

Thank you to the childhood cancer hero families who came to our carnival!

Make More Memories

Connor’s Heroes can host family events thanks to you. Your gift can cover everything from the entertainment, games to food. We can offer these events at no cost to hero families because you donated. Pitch in today and help us make a family’s next big memory: https://form-renderer-app.donorperfect.io/give/connors-heroes-foundation/donate