Simone2China_FundraiserVideo - iPhone

Two years ago, my mother passed away. A friend of mine who had lost his parents told me that when your parent's die, it makes you want to be a better person. And he was right.

I have worked harder in the past two years than perhaps is all my life to fill the void of losing the one person who could always talk me out of depression. When I was hospitalized with a severe drug reaction referred to as TEN, in 2001, my mother visited me every day in the Burn Unit of Sunnybrook Hospital. And when the symptoms of Lupus began to appear, she took me in and protected me from the struggles of the world. She encouraged me to return to school, which I did. A challenge for a person who had been in a drug induced coma for two months and had her skin removed and re-grown. I also had numerous operations including two tracheotomies. I had to learn to walk again, to breathe again. I have lost my hair several times either due to Lupus of the medications I take and I struggle to survive.

When Mom was diagnosed with cancer, I moved in with her until it was time to place her in palliative care. I visited her each day as she had done for me, commuting two hours each way from my new job to her home in a suburb of Toronto and then to palliative care.

Perhaps it was the stresses of caring for her, working full-time and commuting that lead to my recent hospital stay. I have struggled to live with Lupus since I was diagnosed in 2004. I work hard to manage the pain. The illness presents as joint swelling, rashes, organ failure, anxiety and bone deterioration when it is active. I often wonder how much longer I have to live, but try not to think about it.

My father has Parkinson's disease and diabetes. And after my Mother died, the family unit just fell apart.

The only way I have ever been able to live positively despite all that has happened to me, is to plan far into the future and to dream big.

Guess what? It paid off. I am invited to exhibit in China this year from late April to mid July.

I will send anyone who makes a contribute a small piece of art as a token of appreciation. Simply send me an email at simone4king (at) gmail.com with 'You Deserve It,' in the subject heading, and I will email you a thank you that you can print off and frame.

www.simonefrank.com/