When Harpaul Nandhra鈥攁 mother of three who lives in Cobble Hill on Vancouver Island鈥攈eard 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.

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know the family, but I read about it online when they were searching, and then when they found him,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 felt I really needed to do something for the family.鈥�

Nandhra says that art has been a hobby of hers for many years. 鈥淚鈥檝e been drawing since I was a kid. And I enjoy doing portraits.鈥�

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 Cassidy鈥檚 wife Rose.

鈥淚 sent the portrait to Rose, and heard back from her that she loved it,鈥� says Nandhra. 鈥淚t was very touching. I got quite a few messages back from family members saying 鈥楾hank you.鈥� Clayton鈥檚 son Derek got in touch with me and said I鈥檇 captured his father鈥檚 eyes and smile perfectly. That was what I鈥檇 wanted to do; and I started crying.

鈥淚 could tell there was so much love in that family, and could feel how great his loss was.鈥�

Nandhra lost her own partner suddenly several years ago, and says she knew what the family would be feeling. 鈥淚 felt their loss, felt for Rose, and wanted to reach out to them.鈥�

鈥淔riends asked me why I would do that [the portrait of Clayton] for someone I don鈥檛 know. When you鈥檝e experienced that loss, and then hear of someone else losing someone, you feel that loss, you feel for them. You know what they鈥檙e going through, because you鈥檝e been through that yourself.鈥�

editorial@accjournal.ca
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