Brain Tumor Survivor Gets New Lease On Life

Debbie Wagner was happy with her daily life, taking care of her three children, reading novels, balancing the family's checkbook and cooking up complicated recipes for dinner, and then the unthinkable happened. In 2002, Wagner was diagnosed with not one, but two brain tumors. Although the surgery to remove the tumors was successful, Wagner found herself unable to return to her normal routine.

This experience did have one unexpected effect: an increased visual awareness. About five months after her surgery, Wagner had embarked on a new journey as an artist. One morning in 2005, the vivid morning sun inspired Wagner so much that she knew she had to capture it. Compelled by the saturated hues and satisfied with the results, Wagner began painting every sunrise she saw.

Winter Sunrise, pastel

Wagner told Today, "It was so exhilarating that I did it again the next day, and the next day." To date, Wagner has completed 2,200 5-by-14 inch paintings and has no plans of stopping anytime soon. Though she initially took up painting as a hobby, her work is now in high demand as people are looking to commemorate an anniversary, birthday or remembering a loved one.

Carl Cox composed an email to Wagner, "My 24-year-old nephew was killed in a car accident December 12th, 2011 -- the day of his last sunrise here with us," Cox wrote. "I would like to purchase that day's painting, if it is available, and also December 13th, 2011. Both unframed please."

Wagner's painting have taken on a life of their own as requests are flooding in. "I think people are drawn to the honesty of what I'm doing, and the pureness of it. It's not calculated and it's not planned, and it was never meant to be commercial. It's my journal and it's very personal."

View a slideshow of Wagner's work below. If you would like to commemorate a date with one of Wagner's paintings, you can contact the artist at Three Rivers Gallery.

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Comments

[Barbara0817]

02:19 AM on 02/10/2012

Maybe the artist part of
Her was burried inside Her spirit, and When Her brain change it came out. very talented lady

[cd1081]

03:33 PM on 02/08/2012

many of us take our everyday life for granted till we find out it's too
late to appreciate its simple and beautiful treasures.

[cd1081]

03:26 PM on 02/08/2012

her paintings are now a testament of a life well lived and fulfilled.

and what a beautiful testament at that !!!

[anjeffy]

02:38 PM on 02/08/2012

This is a great story and extremely encouraging. One has to endure brain trauma in order to truly understand how it changes your life. I suffered post-surgical cognitive impairment as the result of aortic valve replacements in 1989 and 2002. At that time it went undiagnosed even though I described what is now clinical symptoms. Then in 2004 I suffered a brain aneurysm and 4 months later in 2005 a full blown stroke. Needless to say, I was a mess. I could not count money; became overwhelmed if I had to read more than a couple of lines at a time; forgot how to do lifelong things and lost my normally organized sense. What I did gain was an uncanny ability to remember strings of number that were unrelated to anything. I remembered all of my account numbers for bank accounts, credit cards, utilities, etc. I became a walking phone book--vet, pizza, neighbors, numbers from sides of passing vehicles and so on. It was driving me crazy. However, it abated as time passed. I can still remember details that others who have had no surgeries, brain traumas, and are not nearly 75 years old can't remember. The human body is so wonderfully made, thank God.

[Sandwkr]

02:38 PM on 02/08/2012

Beautiful story. Beautiful artwork.

[Bryn Collins]

02:01 PM on 02/08/2012

Her work is wonderful.

[Kathie Shaffer]

01:32 PM on 02/08/2012

god bless her !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[SmurphIt]

01:20 PM on 02/08/2012

What a wonderful outcome! Great story!

[Valerie Howard]

01:00 PM on 02/08/2012

Fabulous article...a nice change. GOD bless her!! This goes to prove many of us have untapped talents and sometimes it takes a drastic situation to happen for us to enjoy the sunrise....Many blessings to her and her continuous recovery.

[DrKMcK1]

12:55 PM on 02/08/2012

What a great story. It's amazing how stuff like that happens. The brain is such a marvel. We know so little yet about it. Just glad this woman's story has turned out well. Good lock to her. Beautiful paintings.

[skydanzer400]

12:45 PM on 02/08/2012

What's the matter? You can't read what the story is about? You just have to spread your venom anywhere, whether it belongs there of not? Go find some political sites or articles to post on. you have no credibility when you don't appear to be able to read. Health care has nothing to do with your blather.

[DrKMcK1]

01:00 PM on 02/08/2012

Absolutely. This keeps happening on all the sites. It's getting so annoying. It really ruins the stories that should enlighten us and provide hope. If I want the political stuff I have the opportunity to go on those sites; and I do. But you have to just follow the stories sometimes and not drag all that crap into sites like this. Give it a rest. Please.

[WomenExplode]

01:04 PM on 02/08/2012

It has everything to do with this article if you have a brain and can use it...

http://blog.womenexplode.com/2012/02/05/our-music-within-comes-from-god-not-the-government.aspx

[Moudsie]

12:53 PM on 02/08/2012

Are you nuts? How can health care take over religion? This has to be one of the top ten dumbest things ever uttered. Seriously.

[WomenExplode]

01:04 PM on 02/08/2012

This has everything to do with this article.. if you can think....

Look at what Obama is doing ... can't you see and hear....?

http://blog.womenexplode.com/2012/02/05/our-music-within-comes-from-god-not-the-government.aspx

[ahnree]

12:21 PM on 02/08/2012

cool story, way to be free

[WomenExplode]

01:43 PM on 02/08/2012

It's God gift...

http://blog.womenexplode.com/2012/02/05/our-music-within-comes-from-god-not-the-government.aspx

[Daliah Davis]

12:08 PM on 02/08/2012

Wonderful story, beautiful art!

[Dan Crabtree]

12:08 PM on 02/08/2012

My late step-father had horrendous headaches in the latter part of his life and doctors could not find out what his problem was so he attempted suicide with a small caliber rifle to end his pain, this also did not work and he survived but after the suicide attempt he developed a strange desire to paint so the vetrans hospital and the family bought some canvases and away he went paintiing beautifull oils of mountains small european viillages landscapes and potraits..It was indeed very strange as in his entire life he never showed anyone he posessed this talent..His paintings stil hang in different v.a hospitals here in the mid-west...

[skimecoop]

11:13 AM on 02/08/2012

Truly painting from the soul. Wonderful story.