RACHEL MINDRUP

RACHEL MINDRUP

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  • Many Faces of Neurofibromatosis (NF)
    • NF1 ~ Portraits
      • Statement
      • Oil Portraits NF1 (United States)
      • Oil Portraits NF1 (Worldwide)
      • Watercolor Portraits of NF
    • NF2 ~ Portraits
      • Oil Portraits NF2 (United States)
      • Oil Portraits NF2 (Worldwide)
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    • NF ~ State Show Collections
      • NF ~ Arizona
      • NF ~ Missouri
      • NF ~ Nebraska
        • Drawings from Life
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    • Ashok Shrestha's NF Transformation
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    • 2025
      • International Museum of Surgical Science, Chicago
      • Blanden Memorial Art Museum
      • Gallery 92 West
      • CHI Bergan Mercy Hospital
    • 2024
      • Permission to Stare - Mayo Clinic - Scottsdale
    • 2023
      • See Me: Portraits of NF, Rockhurst University
      • Portraits of NF2 - Deming Gallery, Creighton
      • Murfree Gallery
      • Many Faces of NF: Positive Exposure - NYC
    • 2022
      • Scanxiety: Life Between the Scans - Hot Shops Art Gallery
      • NF Tennessee - Vanderbilt University
      • Permission to Stare: Living with Neurofibromatosis - Creighton University Phoenix
    • 2021
      • Many Faces of NF: Good Samaritan Hospital
      • NF: Kansas and Missouri
      • Neurofibromatosis: A Portrait of Nebraska - Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts
      • Many Faces of NF: Stocksdale Gallery
    • 2020
      • Neurofibromatosis and a Portrait of 1 in 3000 - Creighton University
    • 2019
      • Neurofibromatosis: The People, Albrecht Kemper Museum of Art
      • Many Faces of NF - Hibbing Community College
      • Many Faces of NF: Carnegie Arts Center
    • 2018
      • Many Faces of NF: Norfolk Arts Center
      • Washington University School of Medicine
      • Governor's Mansion - Lincoln, Nebraska
    • 2017
      • Bryan Medical Center
      • Portrait of a Disorder: Neurofibromatosis - KCAC
    • 2016
      • Portrait of a Disorder: Neurofibromatosis - Creighton University
    • 2015
      • Many Faces of NF - Portraits of Neurofibromatosis - UNO
    • 2014
      • Rachel Mindrup: Many Faces of NF - Northwestern College
      • Many Faces of NF - UNK
      • Many Faces of NF - UNL
    • 2013
      • Neuro Art Culture - UNL
  • Paintings / Drawings
    • Oil Paintings
      • Figurative Works
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      • The Body
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Lenamarie Playing Drums (1983 - 2022)
Sambat, Batangas, Philippines ~ 2015
Oil on Canvas
30" x 24"

Lenamarie M. Mendoza, from San Pascual Batangas, Philippines, was diagnosed with Neurofibromatosis type 2 in August 2002. When she was in high school she was a drummer of an all-girl band in her school. Music then was her passion, she noticed that there was a decreased level of hearing in her right ear, but she considered that normal cause due to the loud environment by playing the drums.


When she enrolled in college she needed to stop for a year because of a surgery that removed her tumor at the back. She later found that she had NF2. She noticed, over time, that her hearing had become worse especially on the right. Lenamarie persevered and graduated with a degree of Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering on April 2006. She became a Registered Electrical Engineer at the same time a Registered Master Electrician and a member of Institute of Integrated Electrical Engineers of the Philippines.


Her MRI in 2013 revealed tumors on the left end just right of cranial nerves which deteriorated even more of her hearing in both ears rendering her deaf and also has made her lose her ability to walk normally due to tumors in her spine.She is losing it all and realizing that she can no longer keep playing the drums, but she will not lose her spirit and faith. NF is a continuing life battle. In her words, "You’ll never know when the tumor strikes again, and every treatment is of without risks. You’ll never know when you will be deaf, blind or paralyzed. It is not considered cancer and people rarely notice, but it can be worse than that. It is draining to body and spirit but I need to fight and continue my life."