3 years ago, I lost my mom to breast cancer.

Then, recently, another member of my immediate family had a year long fight with the desease, which thankfully, she won.

The only positive that I can find from these horrific life events, is, you have to enjoy the good times of life.

 

Because when the bad times come, and they do for everyone at some point, you long for the times when everyone was ok.

 

These events have taught me that life is for living. 

 

Life is for creating. 

 

Telling people how amazing you think that they are. 

 

Laughing.

 

It has taught me to take having fun, extremely seriously. 

So, to make a point of this, I created an auction on ebay, where I promised the winner a painted portrait of them (or a loved one), which I would paint from life, by visiting them, where ever they were in the world.

I did this to raise money for charity.

I did this to have an adventure.

I did this to meet someone random.

And hopefully to inspire people to have their own adventures.

Because that is how I believe you can really fight against cancer, by enjoying the good times, whenever you can.

In just under a week this listing attracted nineteen bids. The final and successful offer of $260 came from Laurel May who currently lives in Las Vegas.

 

Laurel has Metastatic Breast Cancer. Since April 2012 she has documented her experience of living with the disease in a frank, candid and often funny blog titled “Cancer is the New Black: Just Another F***ing Cancer Blog.”

 Thanks to a very generous donor, Dave Richardson, a friend of Laurels, I have been granted enough Air Miles allow me to fly to Las Vegas at the beginning of February to meet Laurel. Whilst there I will paint Laurel’s portrait, share stories and of course, practise what I preach - have fun!

You can follow Laurels blog here: http://www.canceristhenewblack.com/

You can follow her on twitter here: @laurel43

And you can follow me, here: @andy_leek

All money is going to my Mom's favourite charity, Compton Hospice.

A place she was planning to volunteer at, before she became ill.

Thanks everybody.