When 12-year-old Umaiya was diagnosed with leukemia, her days blurred into a haze of treatments and waiting. Some felt heavy as clouds, others as gentle as morning sunlight.
She chose to capture both in her mandala, blue for her sky-gazing daydreams and yellow for the part of her that wouldn’t give up. Each ring she drew felt like a breath, slow and steady. The final piece wasn’t perfect, but it was peaceful.

Umaiya’s art reminded her and others that it’s okay to be both bright and quiet.