In June 2001 Barbara’s mother Elisabeth was diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (cancer of the bone marrow and blood). The devastating news of this life-threatening illness hit the family like a bomb and everything changed. The period immediately following the diagnosis was one of hardest and intense Elisabeth and her family ever faced. Elisabeth underwent three intensive chemotherapy cycles during which she was stationed for 14 weeks at the Sterile Leukemia Unit at the University Hospital in Zürich, Switzerland.

Now, Elizabeth's cancer is in remission, and she and her family are coping with the emotional scars and after effects the cancer had left behind.

To sort out what happened to her mother and to put things into perspective for herself, Barbara expressed in a powerful series of paintings and illustrations the physical changes, as well as the emotional difficulties her mother went through. "I felt the need to share with my community what my family had to deal with. It is difficult and very emotional to directly address cancer related issues, but putting it down in paint on canvas helps me feel more in control of the situation and not so alone. Although, the fear that the cancer might return is still among us, our family has decided to enjoy every day together as if it would be our last".