Hicks, a 10-year cancer survivor, received treatment from UofL Department of Surgery Chair Kelly McMasters, MD, PhD.

“Arts can help take your mind away from the pain,” she said. “It is wonderful what it can do for those who are ill. We can help to turn a gray day into a happy day.”

The two of them play in the waiting rooms of doctors’ offices, hospitals and nursing homes, as well as for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.

“When I visit the oncologist offices, I can tell them I am a 10-year survivor,” Hicks said, “and that gives them hope.”