Cranes for Cancer
Cranes for Cancer is a charity art project I started in high school. The charity is based on the story of Sadako, a Japanese atomic bomb victim who fought against her cancer by folding origami. According to legend, one thousand origami cranes would bring her good luck and good health. Although Sadako lost her battle, she lives on as a symbol of hope and cancer research. I carry this symbol forward by folding origami in my spare time and donating the cranes to a local children's hospital. I have completed one art display and am currently seeking a home for my second.
My first project started when I was twelve, when I received a book on origami. I received a kit to create one thousand origami cranes at that time. When I was sixteen, I decided to complete the kit and donate the origami cranes to charity. I successfully folded the cranes, and then set out to arrange them in a display for a hospital near my hometown.
I decided to arrange the cranes in a square of 1024 cranes in a Plexiglass and brushed aluminum case. The cranes would be suspended from beading wire to give the illusion of flight behind the glass. Stringing was a four-day long process that involved my whole family!
Halfway through stringing, the rainbow of cranes begins to take shape.
As you can see in this photo, the final display contains a rainbow of cranes trailing downward from pink to purple, with a reverse-rainbow ribbon in the center. The ribbon is meant to symbolize cancer research and relief efforts commonly known to the cancer community. It's a reminder to patients that others have taken the path before them, and that there is hope for their future.
I have since completed a second set of one thousand cranes which are in need of a good home. If you know of a hospital with a cancer unit which would like a similar display, please let me know at my contact page.
I was delighted to successfully deliver my crane project to the Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters in Norfolk, Virginia. The display was hung in the Blood and Oncology unit of the hospital, near where children would receive treatment. The final project was over 6' x 6' in dimension, with 1024 cranes folded by hand. The display would greet patients as they entered the unit, wishing them luck on their way to chemotherapy and other treatments. The cranes were well-received by staff and patients alike.
