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Art as Medicine – Part 2: Jill Angela Hocking, Cabbages and Cystic Fibrosis

Part 2: Jill Angela Hocking, Cabbages and Cystic Fibrosis

I was referred to Jill Angela Hocking’s memorial site a few weeks ago. Jill was an artist and suffered from cystic fibrosis and judging from the website, she seemed like a lovely and creative person.

Jill was born on October 5th, 1979 (just a few years after I was). She grew up in Marlow, Buckinghamshire England and excelled in school. She was a popular child and was drawn to the arts. Her most noteworthy work of art was a cabbage blanket that she sewed together.  It was a striking work of art. Her godmother wrote in the memorial site that dust from the decaying cabbage leaves really affected Jill’s lungs and she needed weeks to recover from it.

“…but she didn’t mind suffering for her art and using it to portray her illness. To her the rotting leaves represented her lungs”

Jill Hocking Sleeping Under her Cabbage Blanket

Jill Hocking Sleeping Under her Cabbage Blanket

Jill also was involved with the CF Trust where she received awards and participated in a number of events.

In 2004, Jill underwent a bilateral lung transplant, but after a few months got a severe infection and passed away on May 9th, 2004. Jill was only 24 when she died.

Jill’s art and her drive to create and give back to the community is what I am drawn to capturing here on my blog. In Part 1, I profiled Bob Flanagan, a performance artist who also suffered from CF. Both Jill and Bob wanted to connect with others and had a drive to create that helped them cope with CF.  There are a number of drugs for CF that are on the market.  Various CF genes have been isolated but there is still no cure.  I wanted to bring awareness to the unique way these CF sufferers cope with bodies that fight against themselves. Through art, these individuals can take control of their surroundings, cope with their illness and make a significant impact on the world around them.

What can you do to help?  What are ways to help expand our knowledge base and treatments for CF?

There are a number of foundations to volunteer for, and contribute to:

There are also CF clinical trials that keep pushing our understanding of current treatments:

Related posts:

  1. Summary of Cystic Fibrosis Clinical Trials, Research Sites and Treatments
  2. Art as Medicine – Part 1: Cystic Fibrosis and Bob Flanagan
  3. Promoting cystic fibrosis clinical trials with Celine Dion, Gordon Brown and Boomer Esiason
  4. New Cystic Fibrosis Drugs Target Genes
  5. Cystic Fibrosis — The Invisible Killer