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Fishers students create art for cancer patients through Soldiers of Hope

FISHERS, Ind. (WISH) — Students at one local elementary school are using their art to help cancer patients. 

The students spend time after school making the art. 

The program is called Soldiers of Hope. It’s at Riverside Intermediate in Fishers. 

The students meet once a week for eight weeks. 

Next Wednesday will be their last meeting of the year. 

They will frame their favorite piece of art and their teacher hopes to bring the artwork to a hospital to hang in rooms that cancer patients visit. 

“I joined Soldiers of Hope because my grandma, she died from cancer a little while ago and so I joined that because of her and because I wanted others to feel like they’re not alone and I wanted to spread happiness by giving them pictures,” said Brienna Brodner.

“It’s been really inspiring because, I like understand now that people do actually go through this and that it’s a real thing and that they could use some help and some happiness,” added Lauren Steltz. 

The students also have a chance to hear from a cancer patient. This week they heard from Ben Thompson, a 19-year-old who was diagnosed with cancer two years ago. 

The visits are important to the program’s art teacher, who lost her daughter to cancer nearly five years ago. 

“My daughter Danielle was 20 years  oldwhen she was diagnosed with glioblastoma, which is brain cancer and she kicked it for seven years and she lived a good life. She traveled, she was a photographer, she was an artist. She showed me how to live life,” said Susan Krapinksi. 

Danielle also encouraged Susan to teach. It’s a job that has allowed her to continue honoring her daughter through Soldiers of Hope. 

“That’s my goal in life, is to keep honoring her and all of anybody who has gone through cancer.”