Name
Carina Imbrogno

Brain Tumor Type
Other

Date of Diagnosis
2022

Participant Group
Caregiver/Family Member

Category
Drawing/Painting/Printmaking/Chalk Art

Artist Statement (include type of art, techniques & materials used, what it means to you)
I drew a photo realistic zebra in pastels on pastel mat board. It’s 17x27 in size. This piece took my nearly 100 hours to complete. The zebra is a widely recognized symbol representing rare diseases, and its unique stripes symbolize the individuality and often overlooked nature of these conditions. In rare disease awareness, the zebra represents the uncommon or unexpected, serving as a reminder for medical professionals to consider rare conditions.
The zebra symbol is used to raise awareness about rare diseases, emphasizing that they are not as rare as people might think and that individuals with rare conditions deserve proper diagnosis and care. Just like no two zebras have identical stripes, every person's journey with a rare disease is unique, and the zebra symbol recognizes this individuality. 

Artist Bio: Tell Us Your Story
I’m a self taught rare disease disabled award winning artist and illustrator and now an inspirational artist who has defeated death many times. I’m truly a walking miracle. I was born with a rare genetic disorder called EDS syndrome and Marfanoid Habitus Syndrome diagnosed in 2015 at the age of 40. It is the cause of my learning disabilities and for my spine, collapsing. I had many surgeries over the years. I have 26 screws and two rods holding my spine. I also survived two pulmonary embolisms. I was inspired to start my art when I watched the true story movie Heaven is for Real. The artist that was mentioned in the movie Akiane Kramarik painted the image of Jesus at the age of 8. When I saw the image it made me pick up a pencil and brush and start painting and drawing. I didn’t know my own ability until 2015.
My nephew Daniel is a survivor of three brain tumors. A rare tumor called DNet. They are very rare. He was diagnosed in 2022 with these tumors after experiencing seizures . His tumors had gotten so large that they started to cause him seizures. He was 24 when he got diagnosed. He was fortunate enough that they were in an area of his brain where the doctors were able to remove them. He went through a very long and painful recovery period. Since I’ve never been able to have children due to my genetic illness my nephew is like a son to me. It was a very frightening time for Daniel and the entire family. Daniel is very fortunate that he survived and recovered so well and is no longer getting seizures.

Since I began my art journey 2015, I have created over 150 works of art. I enjoy depicting pets, wildlife, children, people botanicals, still lives, and landscapes. My style is photo realism. I have discovered that I can work in different mediums, but my medium of choice is pastels.
I began entering online competitions during the pandemic. I have entered over 450 online exhibits and I have won over 350 awards. I’m also am award recipient of 2022 for the Everlife rare Disease artist competition in Capital Hill Washington D.C. I am very excited to be having my first solo show at the Stamford Art Association on August 7. I will be exhibiting 30 of my pastel drawings. It was such an incredibly experience. I got to meet so many people with Rare Disease that I now have a connection with.

My goal to bring awareness by sharing my my miraculous story and my art and other rare diseases survivors stories to inspire and give others a renewed sense of hope.