I was an artist from time I was a little girl.

What I didn’t know as a child—or even as an adult—was that I was living with a hidden hole in her heart. At age 35, after a series of unexplained mini-strokes, I found myself in the ER during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s when doctors discovered a congenital heart defect: a PFO (patent foramen ovale).

What followed was a long and uncertain medical journey. Some cardiologists told me the hole was too small to matter. One renowned doctor at Johns Hopkins insisted it didn’t exist at all. But I knew something was wrong. As difficult as it was, I kept advocating for myself.

Finally, on August 9, 2023, my 38th birthday, the hole in her heart was closed. And in that moment, everything shifted. My migraines disappeared. My breath came easier. The looming threat of more mini-strokes or a full stroke was gone.

To thank my cardiologist, I did what I do best! I made something by hand: a post-surgery thank-you cobweb card, crafted with intention and care, designed to reflect the design of my PFO closure device. That one card sparked something more: a commission to design a custom holiday card for the cardiology team’s aortic valve patients.

Today, I create concept-driven, hand-crafted cards that help professionals communicate with empathy and meaning. Every piece I makes is a reminder: art can be a bridge between people, a balm for uncertainty, and sometimes, a path to feeling seen.