Cancer survivor thanks Allina Health care team with a painting of hope

Trish Toro-Gabrys of New Hope wanted to thank her Allina Health Cancer Institute care team in a unique way, so she picked up her paintbrush and got to work.

“I just went to the canvas and put on strokes of color,” Trish said. “It was a feeling of freedom that just came out of me.”

When she saw what was developing, Trish, a retired Spanish teacher and self-taught artist, began adding bold leaves and flowers in hues of coral, green and purple.

“I do a lot with nature,” she added. “It represents life.”

Trish says she’s used painting as therapy, especially since her cancer diagnosis and surgery in November 2020, which required the removal of nearly half of her liver.

At her final follow-up CT scan late last year, Trish presented her care team with the 24-by-48-inch framed acrylic painting that she calls Be‑Leaf in Hope. The title is a play on words that connects nature and the importance of hope during a cancer journey.

“You’ve got to believe in hope,” Trish said.

Five years after her surgery, and with a final CT scan completed, Trish, now 72, will be routinely monitored with blood work and ultrasounds moving forward.

Meanwhile, the painting she gifted to her care team will be displayed at Allina Health Cancer Institute in Minneapolis.

“I’m thankful and so grateful to the health staff who helped me add extra years to my life,” Trish said.