The Orange Giraffe Project was inspired by three courageous women who exuded strength and grace while battling cancer or other serious medical conditions. Their stories help us tell ours.
A young, empowered spirit
In 2006 a 22 year-old, young woman, appropriately named Glory, began visiting doctors regarding her abnormal body aches and pains. As she was in her final year at college, her doctors dismissed her situation as stress-related symptoms caused by typical college life as a senior. Alarms went off inside Glory; something wasn't right...but it sounded alright: lack of sleep, finals week, fast food, stress of graduation, resume building-they would give anyone stress. Months later, while on a flight home, Glory was rushed to a hospital where doctors discovered that she had stage IV cancer which had already spread to her liver and ovaries. Shortly thereafter, in July of 2007, Glory passed away.
Because her physician did not inquire about family related cancer, especially cancer found in the family tree at young ages, there were never any precautionary measures taken. The sad truth is that if her ongoing symptoms were diagnosed as cancer early-on, Glory might still be with us.
Despite her tough battle, Glory had a natural ability to be positive, to turn shortcomings into strengths, to change her perspective and thus her situation. Even through her surgeries, chemo infusions, and radiation treatments, she did not pity herself. Instead she was a warrior and worked with friends to design and sell "GloBands"-a camouflage, cancer bracelet that symbolized the warrior's spirit and the cancer patient's daily battle. Not only did these bracelets empower those who wore them, but proceeds from the GloBands go to Glory's other initiative, Project GLOW (an outreach program for young adults battling cancer, with the mission of giving these individuals some small happiness by bringing them tangible, small comforts, a sense of normalcy, and comfort through little things like makeovers or concert tickets).
Glory believed the difference between a soldier and a warrior is that a soldier will retreat when commanded, but a warrior never retreats and fights to the very end, even in the face of death. She was indeed a warrior and inspired many other warriors. Even though she is gone, her voice lives through another legacy, started after her death-RACE Charities, an organization dedicated to raising cancer awareness early-on.
The Orange Giraffe Project was inspired by Glory's conviction and her dedication to helping others despite the limitation of her own condition.
An artist and a doctor
Dr. Ruth L. Steerman devoted her life to helping others. As an esteemed pediatrician in the Washington DC area she spent decades offering great care to children and occasionally, even their parents. Her compassion saw no end and she would readily see patients both night and day.
Dr. Steerman's health deteriorated in the 1990s due to asthma, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, among other ailments. She had several minor strokes, one of which left her with impaired function in one hand. She took up creating beaded necklaces as therapy, and it proved to be effective-she eventually regained full function of her hand.
This therapy developed into a more enduring passion for the design process and Ruth would continue to procure and assemble a wide variety of stones and beads and eventually start a business dealing with the finished products. Although her health deteriorated further, resulting in her death in May 2008, her life was a success in that it significantly contributed to improved pediatric health care throughout the Washington DC area. In her memory, her family has donated her sizeable remaining collection of semiprecious stone and art glass beads for others to use in therapy as she had done.
Through the Steerman family's support of to the Orange Giraffe Project in Ruth's loving memory, she will continue to help others. Ruth was a true inspiration for creating the Orange Giraffe Project. Not only for her general spirit, but also because she is a testament to how uplifting healing through art can be.
A beautiful survivor
Sylvia was the first participant of the Orange Giraffe Project, even before there was an Orange Giraffe Project. Maggie had never communicated with Sylvia directly, but she felt as if she knew everything about her. Or at least Maggie had painted a perfect picture of her in her head. Their mutual friend had connected them during the winter of 2007. Sylvia was undergoing extensive cancer treatment, and Maggie had a non-medical skill that could help her. Sylvia refused to wear wigs, hats, or scarves during chemotherapy and instead wanted to wear lots of very bold, unique earrings, and Maggie felt that she could make this perfect holiday gift for her.
Maggie was told she was a really funny, sassy, fabulous, middle-aged, African-American lady who would love anything that had to with peacock feathers and would probably look just as fantastic in blue, green, or orange. Knowing her skin color, her career, and her style preferences, Maggie made her jewelry that would specifically call out to this incredible, courageous woman.
Months after her ban on head coverings and months of wearing the earrings made just for her, direct contact with Sylvia was finally made.
Although she is 58 year-old woman, over the phone she sounded like she was in her early 30s. Over a year ago she was diagnosed with stage IV Lymphoma. When she asked what stage V was like, the doctors replied they wouldn't be talking to her in that stage--there is no stage V. She told Maggie her treatment was referred to as a blast. She joked, "They might as well have thrown the kitchen sink at me." Doctors warned her that she would 100% lose her hair, her beautiful dreadlocks, among other body changes.
"I made a decision that day that I didn't want to wear wigs-they're hot and itchy. And I also didn't feel like hiding. If I covered my head, it would say to the universe, and more importantly, say to myself, 'I have done something wrong.'" She described how she'd met women who didn't go through chemo simply because they didn't want to lose their hair, and other women who just looked unnatural with their wigs. That wasn't going to be her.
Sylvia had gone home that day and explained to her youngest daughter who has down syndrome, "Mommy is going to lose all of her hair." Her daughter responded, "That's ok, Mommy. We're just going to plant daisies all over your head." "Daisies?" Sylvia had asked. Her daughter replied, "Yes, because they're your favorite, we're going to decorate you with them."
Sylvia loved this idea of decorating herself; yes, she was just going to go along with her body's changes and decorate it. As the treatments started, she waited and prepared her jewelry and her friends. But ironically, Sylvia didn't lose her hair.
"God has a funny sense of humor because I still have my beautiful dreads... though my body did go through other changes. And even though I don't believe in ugly and even though I know that all societies have their different standards of beauty, I understand my society's standard of beauty. Chemo physically changes those who undergo it. I saw complexions turn ashy grey, and even go as red as strawberries! But I would wear my beautiful earrings because I didn't feel like an ugly person on the inside, so why not be beautiful on the outside? Like I am saying to everyone else, 'I'm not letting this body-change define me right now.' That pretty little thing adorning your body says to the rest of the world that you are being bold, and appreciate being noticed, and feel strong. I believe that I had on something beautiful because I am beautiful."
Today, Sylvia is a survivor of cancer and continues to wear her earrings with pride.
Her bravery inspired the workshops of the Orange Giraffe Project, as well as her aesthetic for looking and feeling beautiful while standing tall.
These strong women and their stories are the reason we have ours.
And finally a conclusion to satisfy everyone's curiosity: So what's with the name, the Orange Giraffe Project? Simple answer. When Maggie was brainstorming with her younger brother on the most fitting name for this project, he reflected upon his favorite pair of earrings of all that she had created-a pair of orange giraffes-and described why the African symbol of the giraffe would be perfect: Not only do they represent grace and standing tall, but of all the land animals, giraffes have the largest hearts. True story.
-Maggie, Julia, and Jordan