Brush Strokes of Resilience: An Artist's Journey to Healing
For over 70 years, Suzanne deCillia has poured her life onto the canvas. A gifted artist from a family of creators, she studied painting at the University of Washington in the late 1950s and painted more than 900 works. After taking a long break to raise her children, Suzanne reignited her passion, eventually building a partnership with a gallery in Lahaina, Hawaii, that lasted for over two decades. But in early 2023, Suzanne's lifelong passion faced its greatest test.
In January 2023, a stroke damaged Suzanne's eyesight and the use of her right hand, but it did not touch her creative spirit. Just seven months later, the devastating Lahaina wildfires destroyed her gallery in Hawaii and over 80 of her original paintings. Then, less than a year later, her husband passed away. Despite this triple tragedy, Suzanne was determined to keep creating. She tried to finish a half-completed painting, but the changes to her body and vision made a difficult truth impossible to ignore: she would never paint again.
It was with the compassionate care of Dr. Jason Talavera, a cardiologist at EvergreenHealth Heart Care, that Suzanne found her path forward.
"I knew that for Suzanne, true healing meant getting her back to her art," said Dr. Talavera. "My goal was not just to mend her heart, but to restore her passion for life. We designed a treatment plan that was compassionate and unique to her needs. We focused on managing her coronary artery disease and valve issues, but we also pushed her to regain physical strength and coordination and supported her emotional well-being to help her rediscover her will to live through her painting. It was a complete partnership."
As Suzanne's medical care progressed, their conversations shifted to her art. "Each visit, I asked about her paintings, and with each small victory I saw Suzanne's enthusiasm building," Dr. Talavera recalled. "My treatment plan wasn't just about medicine; it was about motivation and awakening her dormant spirit. It was about showing her that the same determination that once guided her brush could now guide her recovery."
Driven to reclaim her passion, at age 88 years old Suzanne began working on the unfinished paintings about two years after her stroke. "I started tracking the changes I'd made, and after multiple tries, I was able to get something down on the canvas that I liked and shared it with Dr. Talavera," she said.
"Watching her find her way back to the canvas was one of the most rewarding experiences of my career," Dr. Talavera reflected. "Suzanne, came a long way. She is tough and resilient which she credits in part to her Norwegian heritage. She had to find her way to regain her love of creating and now developed a desire to inspire others with her story to never give up. She taught me that the most profound healing isn't always found in a prescription or procedure, but in helping a person find their way back to what they love." Suzanne's triumphant piece is now on display at EvergreenHealth for everyone to enjoy.
Suzanne's recovery is going great, and she looks forward to future adventures in art. She heard that the gallery in Hawaii plans to reopen and she plans to send them more of her beloved work. Her work can be found at https://suzannedecillia.com.
Suzanne's story is a powerful testament to her own resilience and the compassionate, patient-centered care she received. EvergreenHealth is a national leader in stroke care, having earned Healthgrades' Stroke Care Excellence Award from 2010-2025 and being named a Top 3 Hospital in Washington State for Stroke Care. To learn more, you can visit the EvergreenHealth Stroke Care website.
