Each picture on the wall illustrates exactly how great an accomplishment each victim has achieved. Visitors can read the person's name, year of diagnosis, age, number of years survived, city and state underneath the portrait. Gayler Axelrod says that she hopes each state will take up her cause and create a wall of their survivors. Exhibiting each state's wall in Washington, D.C., she added, would be a dream come true because faces often evoke emotions and awareness. The onlookers interact with the pictures and bring their own lives and emotions to the experience.
Emotions range from joy to sadness, and many still are very curious.
Another facet may be awareness. Among the many women on the wall, two men and several twenty-somethings stand out to show onlookers the wide range of victims affected by breast cancer. The Wall of Hope serves as a strong reminder that breast cancer is a prevalent disease, but that there is also hope to those searching for support. Breast cancer survivors are invited to participate in the wall by registering for a makeover and photo session to be taken at Gottschalks department store in the County Fair Mall on Nov. 1 and 2. Anyone is invited to participate in the fundraising photo session, but only breast cancer survivors will be given a photo to be used on the Wall of Hope.