A BOOK OF COMICS BENEFITTING CANCER RESEARCH

How It Came To Be ...

My name is Suley Fattah and I am the coordinator of this project, Drawing The Line.

The project was first inspired by a birthday present. The image by DTL editor, Ron Boyd, was given to me for my 40th birthday in 2003.

As I was undergoing chemotherapy for Hodgkin’s Disease at the time, the red box in the image represented a token of friendship to me.

In turn, the red box became my inspiration to acknowledge, and in my way, give a gift, to all the great staff and healthcare workers who supported me through my cancer experience.  The result is this project.

I liked the idea of a little present in adverse environment. I also liked the image of Toronto shining through in the background; the falling snow gave it a certain purity. The street car, with its open doors, seems warm and inviting, welcoming everyone.

From my experiences at the various hospitals I’ve been a patient at, each and every care-taker made a difference for me. I’ve received countless smiles, reassuring words and an abundance of kindness which have given me the strength to face my cancer positively. 

That someone choses to provide that level of care and kindness to a stranger, just because that is their job, AND, to do that everyday, with every person that they encounter, is astounding. 

This project is my way of thanking each and every one of those individuals -- all healthcare workers -- who make a difference everyday.

Who it Benefits ...

The groups who will benefit from the proceeds of the sale of this comic book are: Princess Margaret Foundation and The Hospital for Sick Children Foundation.

Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) is where I was treated for my cancer.  I have experien ced exceptio nal care at this hospital and feel extremely fortunate to have this service available to me.  I have also been to other hospitals that Princess Margaret is affiliated with such as Toronto General and Toronto Western.

The Hospital for Sick Children (“Sick Kids”) is located right across the street from Princess Margaret Hospital. I have seen the amazing care the children receive who go to this state-of-the-art facility -- it’s rated one of the top five children’s hospitals in the world! Some of the cancer patients were treated at PMH and I got to see, first hand, the  SickKids team at work. Read more on how the contributions from this book will benefit Sick Kids.

I’ve seen and experienced the incredible impact these two wonderful hospitals provide; and I am only too delighted to be able to give back.

Both PMH and Sick Kids have agreed to participate in the project.  I gratefully acknowledge each team for their participation on making this project possible and thank the foundations for their support.

To read their endorsement letters click here.