San Jose gardener uses artistic gifts to take a stand against breast cancer
A San Jose gardener who is also a talented abstract painter is using his gifts to help fight breast cancer.
For most of his adult life, Trieu Hai Dao has worked as a landscaper in the South Bay, mowing lawns, trimming bushes and designed outdoor landscapes for his clients.
But since the age of six, he has also had a passion for painting. And in the evenings when hise landscaping tools are put away, he comes into his own studio and takes up the brush and canvas.
"It's good to enjoy life and art. It's always the thing that I focus," said Dao.
Dao fled his native Vietnam in 1986 and survived a dangerous boat trip to Hong Kong. He arrived in the United States penniless.
"I tell my kids we were reborn in the ocean," Dao said.
He settled in San Jose, took up landscaping, married and raised four children. But he never gave up his art.
His paintings now fill up three books. Some of his paintings sell for thousands of dollars, which he often gives back to the community.
Dao has held shows that benefited Ukraine, Florida hurricane victims and Maui fire survivors: all causes he identified with.
But his latest show and fundraiser was inspired by the suffering of just one person; his family friend Cathy Ton Nu.
Nu and Dao share the same small hometown in Vietnam. They fled the country separately, but found each other by coincidence in San Jose and formed a friendship.
Cathy is a breast cancer survivor enduring chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Her younger sister died from the disease.
"I had the mammogram every six months. Once they found the breast cancer I was treated for a year and I'm better," said Nu.
Although breast cancer rates are declining in white, non-Hispanic American women, they are increasing in Vietnamese-American women, who are also far behind the national average when it comes to breast cancer screening.
"It's all about how do we engage the community to improve prevention," said Michael Elliott, who works with the Valley Health Foundation.
Dao's upcoming show in April will benefit the Foundation's efforts to increase screenings in Santa Clara County and upgrade technology.
"My friend and people with cancer might feel better if they get treatment and medicine. And if that I happens, I feel better too," Dao said.
Dao's contribution may be a small piece of a larger effort. But he says he wants to give back, to the country and community which took him in when he had nothing.
"I'm lucky. I'm still alive and I came to the freedom country. Now I feel better because I want to help people," Dao said.
Artists draw inspiration from many sources. As he puts the finishing touches on his latest painting, Dao says his inspiration comes from the cause of helping people. Dao's art show will open on April 12 at the Citadel Art Gallery in San Jose.
Dao has pledged 20% of all proceeds to the Valley Health Foundation.