Saint Gianna Beretta Molla was an Italian physician, wife, and mother. Gianna was married to Pietro Molla and had three children. During her fourth pregnancy she faced a life-threatening condition. Refusing an abortion or hysterectomy that would have saved her life but ended her child’s, she chose to preserve her unborn daughter. She passed away a week after giving birth. The story of her maternal sacrifice ricocheted around the world, but ultimately it was the holiness of her life that won her the title of saint.

When I was praying about how to portray her, I felt called to depict her with arms overflowing with white flowers. Each blossom represents an act of love—some large and beautiful, others humble and more hidden. As a mother, many of her sacrifices would have gone unrecognized, yet it is these that God cherished most of all.