Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — Lydia Stewart was diagnosed with spina bifida before she was born and had multiple surgeries and hospitalizations in her young life.
The 11-year-old Eagle Mountain girl currently is a patient at Primary Children's Hospital, where she's recovering from what her mother called her worst surgery yet — and hopefully her last.
On Thursday morning, Lydia was wheeled into an activity room at the hospital, where she was greeted by international artist Luis Sottil, president and founder of an organization devoted to serving terminally ill children.
Sottil is a professional painter from Tampico, Mexico, who visits and paints hearts with critically ill children across the U.S. and into Mexico as part of his Hearts of Hope project.
His visit to Primary Children's Hospital marked more than 200 hearts he's painted with children through the Luis Sottil Foundation.
With tubes from her shunt intact and ice packs on her lap to relieve stomach pain from her recent surgery, Lydia sat in her wheelchair painting a pink and purple face. She smiled as she told Sottil her dreams of becoming a nurse so she can help others like her.
"The result is apparent. (Painting) shows the true side of a child's ability to dream through color," Sottil said.
In all, Sottil worked individual with seven children Thursday, guiding their painting and asking them questions with hopes of building their confidence and excitement for life.
"When you dream with your heart, all things are possible," Sottil continually reminded the kids.
The artist provided canvases painted with white hearts against a gold background to get the children started on their paintings. He drew the outline of a face on each canvas and asked the children to add color to the face, making the eyes and smile of whatever they want to be when they grew up.
"Color always brings (out) the best in kids," Sottil said.
By inspiring the children to think about their futures, Sottil said he can bring hope into their hearts that they can survive their diseases and have bright futures.
He will take the paintings back to his studio to paint a professional border around each piece with the child's favorite animal included in the design. The paintings then will be donated and hung at Primary Children's Hospital.
Sottil began the Luis Sottil Foundation about 10 years ago to bring joy, hope and financial help to children suffering from terminal diseases and their families, he said.
After most of his hospital visits, Sottil donates or sells the paintings completed with his hand-painted borders for up to $15,000 per painting. The proceeds go directly back to the medical institutions where the children reside.
At some fundraising events, Sottil sells his own original paintings, with half of the proceeds going to hospitals and the other half to the Luis Sottil Foundation. The foundation uses the money to purchase ambulances, medical supplies and has even paid airfare for American doctors to visit children in Sottil's hometown in Mexico.
When you dream with your heart, all things are possible.
–International artist Luis Sottil
The Hearts of Hope project has raised $2.5 million to date, and continues moving forward to raise money and inspire children.
"This was an automatic call that I could not ignore," Sottil said. "This is so inspirational."
He said Hearts of Hope is his favorite painting project of his career.
Ali Ditolla, art therapist for Primary Children's Hospital, said allowing the children to do artwork helps "normalize" their very abnormal lives of having to live in a hospital full time. She said it can be a nice break from the trauma of hospitalization.
"(It's) a great way for kids to safely express how they're feeling," Ditolla said. "By making the art, they can understand their situations and share that with others or just start to process it."
