Today in Richboro, a hummingbird hovers over a flower, not in flight, but in paint. A simple “paint by number” created by a young girl undergoing chemotherapy has become a symbol of perseverance, love, and the power of art. That image, Sarah Pulaski’s painting, now lives on, not only in a frame in her mother’s office but in the heartfelt music of her younger brother, Ryan Pulaski.
This painting, now affectionately known as “Sarah’s Painting”, shows a hummingbird hovering over a blossom. Over time, it came to represent something more. “That painting has stuck with us over the years,” Ryan said. “It became a time capsule that we look at and remember her through.”
Ryan, a Richboro native and graduate of Council Rock South High School, released his debut single, “Sarah’s Painting,” on what would have been his sister’s 25th birthday on June 20. The song is a soulful tribute to Sarah’s creativity, strength, and legacy, and marks the beginning of Ryan’s first full-length album, due out in October.
“After Sarah passed when she was 11, the painting took on a deeper meaning for me,” said Ryan. “It was this depiction of how out of the darkest moments, when there is nothing in the world, we can still find light and we can still find hope in creation.”
Sarah was just nine years old when she was diagnosed with leukemia in 2009. She began treatment at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. During long days of chemotherapy, she found comfort in painting, particularly the structured calm of paint-by-number kits.
“She was always very crafty,” Ryan recalled. “That was her passion. I can’t paint for the life of me. I have a lot of trouble coloring inside the lines,” he joked, “but she loved it. Especially nature scenes.”
Both Sarah and Ryan attended Maureen M. Welch Elementary School in Churchville. It was there that Ryan discovered his own artistic path through music, thanks in large part to his beloved music teacher Susan Johnson.
“She was a huge advocate for me,” he said. “Miss Johnson saw that I was finding comfort in music while Sarah was going through treatment, and she encouraged me to join the school choir. I thank her every day for inspiring me.”
Her encouragement led Ryan to audition for the Keystone State Boys Choir in Philadelphia, a group he remained a part of through high school. That experience opened the door to musical theater, which blossomed during his time at Richboro Middle School and continued through standout performances at Council Rock South.
Ryan fondly remembers playing lead roles in productions like “Tarzan”, “Beauty and the Beast”, “Footloose”, and “Thoroughly Modern Millie”, a natural evolution, perhaps, given that Sarah’s own first love was dance.
“She danced at Elite Dance Academy in Richboro, and she never gave it up, even in sickness,” he said. “Watching her dance definitely inspired me to get up on stage.”
The connection between siblings has always been at the heart of Ryan’s creativity. Though his music doesn’t always directly focus on Sarah, her influence is ever-present.
His single, “Sarah’s Painting”, is a singer-songwriter ballad infused with jazz influences. Ryan sings and plays piano on the track, accompanied by fellow Liberty University students Miriam Thompson and Ryan Hedrick.
Ryan, now pursuing a master’s degree in English at Liberty after earning undergraduate degrees in both English and Music, credits his collaborators for helping him bring the song to life.
“I’d rather focus on the vocals and the production side,” he said, “and let people who are far better than me play the instruments.”
The lyrics reflect on where Sarah’s painting now hangs, in their mother’s office, and the sense of life and memory it continues to hold. But it’s also a larger meditation on resilience.
“The hummingbird in her painting is constantly flapping its wings or else it will fall because of its weight,” Ryan explained. “To me, that represents perseverance. It’s the pursuit of goals, the remembering of where we came from; it’s the ultimate embodiment of hope.”
The response to the single has been overwhelming.
“There’s been such an outpouring of love and support,” he said. “And a lot of excitement for the full album.”
The upcoming ten-song album, due to be released in October, includes eight original tracks and two covers. One of those, Nat King Cole’s “Orange Colored Sky”, will be released as a second single in August. The other is a jazz ballad rendition of “Till There Was You” from “The Music Man,” a nod to Ryan’s musical theater roots.
“I think both covers encapsulate my style as a writer as well as my history and education,” he said.
Among the album’s originals is “Dancing Now”, co-written with his friend Ryan Hedrick that was also inspired by Sarah’s love of dance.
“It’s a call to be joyful, to move and dance,” Ryan said. “Life is short, so go dance in the rain a little bit. Don’t let the world pull you down.”
Through his music, Ryan Pulaski honors his sister’s memory and offers others a light in the darkness, a message born in Richboro, painted in a hospital bed, and now shared with the world.
“I’ll never stop writing music,” Ryan said. “Because even in darkness, there can come light. And art is one of the most beautiful ways to share that.”
“Sarah’s Painting” is available now on Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, YouTube, Amazon Music, and all major streaming platforms.
