Secure a Special Painting for Shannon

Hello there! First, I need to tell you how I met my friend Shannon. I work in the #1 trauma center here in Roanoke, Virginia. Due to the shortage of healthcare workers, we started hiring traveling RNs. You know how you meet some people and you are just drawn to them, yet you don't know why initially? Well, it became very apparent to both of us that we needed each other. I had a series of personal hits that made my depression go haywire. Shannon was/is trying to survive each day from the loss of her best friend, only daughter, Faith. We were inseparable! We did everything together until her year contract ended. A few days before she went back home to South Carolina, we did a little shopping. We came across this one-of-a-kind painting by a local artist. The painting was her interpretation of a singular yellow Converse shoe. It sounds simple, but the meaning behind it means everything.

Shannon lost her 1st born and only girl (Faith) at 16 years old to a horrific car crash. Faith was a brilliant young mind who also loved to paint. She has some incredible pieces, one being her interpretation of the Mad Hatter. She was unapologetically true to herself and stuck up for the underdogs. She was the head of her yearbook committee and was known as "The girl with the yellow Converse."

The asking price was $1200, so sadly, we left without the painting. Eventually, we had to say goodbye, and she went back home to SC.

In the meantime, I was obsessing over this painting. I found out who the local artist was. I stalked her on Instagram, and then I finally messaged her through Facebook 4 months later. I asked if her art piece was still for sale, and she said yes!! I shared this story with her and told her how much it meant to my dear friend. She was selfless enough to drop it down to $700 just for me!!

Even though she sliced her price almost by half, I just can't afford that generous offer. I thought maybe if I shared my story on a bigger platform, I could finally get the funds together and surprise Shannon when I go visit her in July.