When Harpaul Nandhra91Ƶa mother of three who lives in Cobble Hill on Vancouver Island91Ƶheard about the disappearance of Cache Creek Fire Chief Clayton Cassidy in May 2017, and how he was found three weeks later, she knew she had to do something.
91ƵI didn91Ƶt know the family, but I read about it online when they were searching, and then when they found him,91Ƶ she says. 91ƵI felt I really needed to do something for the family.91Ƶ
Nandhra says that art has been a hobby of hers for many years. 91ƵI91Ƶve been drawing since I was a kid. And I enjoy doing portraits.91Ƶ
She did a pencil portrait of Cassidy based on a picture of him that she saw online. When she finished the portrait, she reached out as to how she could send it to Cassidy91Ƶs wife Rose.
91ƵI sent the portrait to Rose, and heard back from her that she loved it,91Ƶ says Nandhra. 91ƵIt was very touching. I got quite a few messages back from family members saying 91ƵThank you.91Ƶ Clayton91Ƶs son Derek got in touch with me and said I91Ƶd captured his father91Ƶs eyes and smile perfectly. That was what I91Ƶd wanted to do; and I started crying.
91ƵI could tell there was so much love in that family, and could feel how great his loss was.91Ƶ
Nandhra lost her own partner suddenly several years ago, and says she knew what the family would be feeling. 91ƵI felt their loss, felt for Rose, and wanted to reach out to them.91Ƶ
91ƵFriends asked me why I would do that [the portrait of Clayton] for someone I don91Ƶt know. When you91Ƶve experienced that loss, and then hear of someone else losing someone, you feel that loss, you feel for them. You know what they91Ƶre going through, because you91Ƶve been through that yourself.91Ƶ
editorial@accjournal.ca
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