The Call That Changed Everything…
In 2009, I received a call to come out and give a quote on a possible mural project. From the tone of the mother’s voice, I sensed it was something more than just an average request – and as we soon found out, it was… The call was from the parents of a beautiful, 10-year girl, who had just been diagnosed with a very aggressive form of cancer. The survival rate was very low, and the parents were devastated. They were doing all the normal treatments but were also looking into holistic treatments and remedies as well.
They found out that the environment plays a vital role in recovery, so they reached out to us to help create a nurturing, peaceful environment for their daughter to heal.
After I hung up the phone, I turned to my wife, Judy, and said, “we can’t charge them,” and she totally agreed! We knew that we had to help in any way we could, and that was by creating a beautiful, calming mural for her where she could find peace, comfort and joy.
So on a bright, sunny day in the Spring of 2009, we met Danielle, and this is where our journey of Painting Happiness began… We spent days in her room and had the pleasure of getting to know her and her family.
There was a very special moment with her father that’s etched in my mind and makes me smile every time I think of it…
A Father’s Emotional Thank You…
One night as I was packing up for the evening, her father came home from the hospital (without Danielle) and had this look of exhaustion and despair on his face. He walked into her room, laid down on her bed and stared up at the sky I had just painted on her ceiling. He confided in me how scared they all were, and what a long day at the hospital they had just had with Danielle.
And as he lay there staring at the ceiling, I could sense the stress trickle out of his body, hear his sigh of relief, and noticed his eyes had begun to tear up.
I continued carrying my things out to my car, and checked back in with him when I was ready to leave — it was about 10 minutes or so. When I came back in, he went on to tell me that just lying there looking up at the sky brought him such relief and took him away from everything. It made him feel calm and at peace. He said that it felt like a lot longer than 10 minutes because it was just so peaceful. He thanked me for what I was doing and wanted me to know what a huge difference I was making for his daughter and their entire family. That was over 9 years ago…
Through the years, we’ve remained close with the family and have watched Danielle grow into a healthy, thriving, beautiful, young adult!
The Gift…
In the end, we realized that we not only helped Danielle but her entire family – and they helped us too! They helped us realize that acting from the heart goes a long way.
They helped ME realize that MY GIFT could actually be a GIFT TO OTHERS. So, from that moment on, I started “paying it forward.”
It’s because of that initial call from her mother, years ago, that my wife and I have created this special 501(c)(3) project specifically dedicated to helping children like Danielle and many others. For over 9 years now, we’ve been paying it forward and Painting Happiness wherever and whenever we can, because we know that IT MATTERS!!!
This special project allows us to accept charitable contributions and be able to touch even more lives.
To date, my wife and I have completed well over 100 projects together — some funded, but most were not. We’ve done them on our own and also by partnering with other non-profits… We’ve brought joy to numerous families, medical treatment facilities, inner-city schools, and safe havens and shelters.
A Simple Smile Says It All…
For the past 23+ years, we’ve been bringing joy-filled smiles to people’s hearts and faces, with our work through Crayons Gone Wild! We can’t tell you how many times we’ve heard the phrase, “it just makes me smile – it makes me feel so happy…” So, it only seemed appropriate that I started putting smiley faces in my murals – starting with Danielle’s:) I love hiding them for people to find – even the adults enjoy the challenge…
That’s also why we chose the name “Painting Happiness” – because that’s literally what we do!
And we can’t think of any better way to share that gift than with those who need it the most – but would probably never even think to ask about it.
Thankfully, Danielle’s mother did!
A Simple Smile Says It All…
For the past 23+ years, we’ve been bringing joy-filled smiles to people’s hearts and faces, with our work through Crayons Gone Wild! We can’t tell you how many times we’ve heard the phrase, “it just makes me smile – it makes me feel so happy…” So, it only seemed appropriate that I started putting smiley faces in my murals – starting with Danielle’s:) I love hiding them for people to find – even the adults enjoy the challenge…
That’s also why we chose the name “Painting Happiness” – because that’s literally what we do!
And we can’t think of any better way to share that gift than with those who need it the most – but would probably never even think to ask about it. Thankfully, Danielle’s mother did!
HELP US REACH MORE CHILDREN
Making a Difference!
follow us
