Clarissa Rizal's Medical Fund

On October 14th, Clarissa Rizal was diagnosed terminal liver and colon cancer, given a few months to live. The specialists did not recommend treatment, as conventional methods would only speed up the process.

At the time of diagnosis, Clarissa was living in a Tulsa Artist Fellowship residency apartment and her energy levels had her bed-ridden 23 hours per day. Her daughter then retreived her from Tulsa, Oaklahoma, packed up her studio, and brought her home to the Southwest where she is now being cared for in Pagosa Springs, Colorado.

The past several months have been extremely strenuous — although incredibly rewarding — which has contributed significantly to Clarissa's rapidly declining health. This year her passion for community participation in artistic creative projects recently led to the creation of “Weavers Across the Water,” a Chilkat-Ravenstail robe composed of squares woven by 54 weavers which she sewed together to create blanket that will be used in celebrations of Northwest Coast canoe launchings and other ceremonies. She was also one of the 9 recipients awarded with a 2016 National Endowment for the Arts Heritage Fellowship, which is a government-sponsored award that recognizes recipients' artistic excellence and supports their continuing contributions to our nation's traditional arts heritage. She has been supported by the Tulsa Artists Residency since January of this year, as one of 12 artists from around the country. Her residency ends at the end of this year.

Clarissa Rizal, member of the Raven T’akDein Taan (black-legged kittiwake) Clan of Hoonah/Glacier Bay, Alaska, is a highly respected cultural leader and a multitalented artist who has contributed to the revival and perpetuation of Chilkat blanket weaving. Visit this link to read her NEA National Heritage Fellowship artist bio: https://www.arts.gov/honors/heritage/fellows/clarissa-rizal

This tragic diagnosis has created a financial hardship for Clarissa and her family, in order to bring Clarissa back and be cared for by her children, their spouses, and her grand-children. The costs associated with packing up and moving of her densely-packed studio in Oaklahoma, travel expenses for her children and friends to support her during her move, transportation and accommodation costs for her alternative treatment, and living expenses while Clarissa is unable to work needs to be rounded up in order to encourage a healing environment with minimal stress and maximum support.

Clarissa is on a veggie, fruit, and seed/nut diet, is using a dietary suppliment called Asea that has cured her friends' cancers, is undergoing CBD/THC treatment, is drinking Essiac tea that is an effective age-old cancer-fighting tea, is participating in in-person and virtual physical and spiritual healing sessions, applies herbal wraps twice daily, and is supplimenting all this treatment with teas, herbs, spices, vitamins, messages, water, and sunshine.

At this time, Clarissa has requested not to receive visitors, as it has proven to be very hard on her system. If you would like to gain access to her healing journal on CaringBridge, please contact her daughter, Ursala Hudson, with your request via the contact from below or on Facebook.

We are extremely grateful for all the love and concern coming from countless corners of the world. Thank you so much to all of you who are sending your positive thoughts and proactive energy towards our mother.