By Mason Graves Jeremy Thomley's "Anthem" exhibit brought emotional artwork to the gallery at Oddfellows in downtown Hattiesburg. Doctors diagnosed Thomley with Cystic Fibrosis when he was four months old. Throughout his life, Thomley has struggled with the day-to-day battle that Cystic Fibrosis brings. About seven years ago, Thomley began expressing the emotions he had about Cystic Fibrosis through sculptures. Now, in 2015, the culmination of his work can be seen and felt by the public for the first time. The action did not lie with the actions of the people viewing the gallery. Most, if not all of the action occurred in one's mind, contemplating what the sculptures meant and how to digest the swelling emotions. For Thomley and others with cystic fibrosis, the health of one's lungs define quality of life and, in most cases, length of life. 'Just breathe', the unofficial slogan of those with cystic fibrosis, highlights just how important lungs are to those who cannot afford to take them for granted. Jeremy Thomley learned how to channel his feelings about having such a destructive disease, and he hopes that others will be inspired by what he has done by not letting their disease keep them from achieving their dreams. |