Kids With Cancer Make Art Through MD Anderson's Children's Art Project (INTERVIEW, PHOTOS)

Shannan Murray has been working at MD Anderson for years. It's more than a job to her -- it's a mission. "My father died of leukemia when I was young so my entire life I wanted to make a difference to cancer patients," she told The Huffington Post in a phone interview. The executive director of the Children's Art Project (CAP) has been working with creative kids for over 30 years, championing art making in classrooms and in the hospital.

"This is a way where kids feel that they can give back, which is a really good thing," Murray says.

Children as young as six are making works of art while undergoing the stresses of radiation and chemotherapy. Thanks to CAP, these kids have an invaluable outlet during this difficult period in their lives. In many cases, these kids grow up and get involved in the medical field, Murray says. In the slideshow below, the picture titled, "World Peace" was done 10 years ago by a patient named Richard. When he was 18, he went into the army, and when he returned from active duty, he became a nurse at MD Anderson.

"I see patients benefitting as they are being treated. A lot of these kids go into social work or pediatricians, and many of them want to give back," said Murray. Some however, don't get the chance to grow up. Joey (age 11) recently passed away. However, his beautiful works live on.

Here's a slideshow of the adorable kids' work: