Jai Gervin

 When asked to share my story as a survivor, I wanted to summarize it in one sentence:  I am a survivor of childhood trauma. Those words hold a lifetime of experiences.
Childhood trauma became the beginning of many chapters marked by survival. Over the years, I have endured abuse, loss, hardship, and pain that shape the woman I am today. Most recently, I became a survivor of breast cancer.
Of every battle I have faced, breast cancer is the one I will carry for the rest of my life. My journey included months of extensive chemotherapy, including the “pleasure” of receiving the infamous Red devil -a nickname for one of the most aggressive chemotherapy drugs. It earned its reputation, leaving behind effects that reached far beyond the treatment room.
I underwent a double mastectomy without reconstruction, a decision that permanently changed my body and the way I move through the world. Yet surgery and chemotherapy were not the end of my treatment. I will spend the next 10 years taking cancer medication daily because I have been told that without it, my cancer would return as stage lV metastatic disease. Every day, these medication’s remind me that survivorship comes with the price. They leave me with crippling joint pain, chronic fatigue, hair that is yet to grow back, and the constant awareness that healing is not the same as being cured.
This artwork is born from that truth. It is not simply about surviving cancer; It is about surviving a lifetime of battles while refusing to surrender my voice. My scars 1both visible and invisible- tell a story of resilience, perseverance, and hope. Through my art, I reclaim the parts of myself that trauma and cancer tried to take away. These pieces stand as a testament that survival is not just about living through hardship; It is about finding the courage to create beauty from it.
I am more than a survivor. I am still creating, still healing, and still choosing life- even when life continues to ask something of me every single day. 

Contact

 Website: www.jgervin.com
Instagram: j.gervin.com
TikTok: JGervin Art
Facebook: JGervin Art
Email: jgervin@jgervin.com