Celebrate life. Give hope. Inspire courage.

National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month is September, and the theme at Children's Medical Center this year is "Inspire" – who or what inspires persons affected by pediatric cancers.

Children's is helping to honor the concept of inspiration through a design by a talented young artist, Orlinda Hendricks, 19, of Lindale, Texas. Orlinda is a patient in the Children's Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders.

She created a design of a girl with butterflies, a symbol of inspiration in the flight through cancer, swirling around her and up toward the moon.

What inspires Orlinda? "When we live such short precious lives, we have no time to dwell on the negative," she said.

A Web site based on Orlinda's design offers the opportunity to send your own message of inspiration about pediatric cancers through a butterfly incorporated into Orlinda's artwork.

What inspires others in the fight against childhood cancers can be seen in a photo exhibit online at www.childrens.com/inspire. The exhibit, which spotlights photos of people personally affected by pediatric cancers, will travel throughout the Metroplex during the month of September. Exhibit locations are available online.

T-shirts with Orlinda's design are available at the Children's Corner Gift Shop in the main hospital for $10 apiece. The natural cotton T-shirts come in sizes Kids Small through 3XL. Gift shop hours are Monday-Friday 7:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. and Saturday-Sunday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Tags: childhood cancer awareness, month, september