At just 17, Sidh J. found a unique way to honor the breast cancer community that has been a meaningful part of his life through his experience growing up around the Susan G. Komen 3-Day®: a ceramic sculpture that features a woman’s body, a heart, flowers and a pink ribbon.
“The flowers represent a sort of regrowth and renewal that survivors may feel after everything they have been through,” Sidh explained. “And the ribbon represents the fight people have had against breast cancer. The arms holding the heart is to show that love continues even when someone is no longer here.”
Family Ties to Breast Cancer
The inspiration behind Sidh’s artwork is deeply personal.
From a young age, breast cancer was something he knew about. His grandmother was diagnosed at 39 and died from the disease before Sidh was born. She was just 42.
“My family has always talked about my grandmother,” Sidh said. “She was really strong while she was facing breast cancer, so I knew a lot about it.”
In 2012, Sidh’s mom began participating in the 3-Day, walking 60 miles in memory of her mother. Since then, the 3-Day has played an important role in Sidh’s life. He attended 3-Day events in Philadelphia and New England when his mom walked, and his older sister participated in the Youth Corps. Inspired by those experiences, Sidh joined the 2023 New England 3-Day Youth Corps and continued volunteering in 2024.
“It felt great to finally be able to make my contribution to the fight against breast cancer,” Sidh said. “I have really appreciated meeting so many people and hearing their stories over the last two years on the Youth Corps.”
Art Inspired by Breast Cancer
Sidh, who is interested in engineering and material science, took his first pottery class in sixth grade. Over time, it became his creative outlet.
“Fundamentally, pottery is kind of material science. The clay that I use, the paints I use to cover it—they all change and determine the final form of the piece,” Sidh explained. “It has been a great way for me to express my feelings.”
Last October during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Sidh decided to combine two important parts of his life: his passion for pottery and his connection to the 3-Day. The result was his sculpture titled “In Memory Of …” inspired by his grandmother and the many stories of strength he has encountered through the 3-Day.
“When I was making this piece, I was constantly thinking about the Remembrance Tent and the people who had breast cancer and are no longer with us,” Sidh said. “My piece is to show they are always in our hearts and also to honor those who survived and continue to inspire others.”
Sidh’s sculpture was selected to be exhibited later this month at the 2026 National K-12 Juried Ceramic Exhibition in Michigan, where it will be entered into competition and eligible for awards and scholarships.
Sidh is currently a high school junior in Northern Virginia. He hopes to stay connected to the 3-Day and plans to return in the future as a walker.
