September was childhood cancer awareness month, and we say thank you to two local residents, who wanted to mark it by donating an amazing painting.

When Rasik Shah and Sarla Chavda set off on their honeymoon cruise, they were looking forward to a once-in-a-lifetime journey. They could never have imagined that, along the way, they would be moved by a story of love, loss and hope and inspired to commission a very special painting from American artist Michael Godard.

Sailing from Dubai to Mauritius, Rasik and Sarla were experiencing cruising for the first time and were unsure what to expect.

They said: “There was jewellery for sale and art auctions, so we wandered around and some of the paintings caught our eye. We signed up for the auction, and then one painting in particular really stopped us in our tracks.

“When we heard the story behind it, it touched us deeply. The artist sadly lost his 15-year-old daughter to cancer in 2006, and we have also lost close relatives to cancer. It brought back some very personal memories for us. Michael created ‘Wings of Hope’ to support children going through cancer treatment and to raise money for cancer research. Each painting is unique, carrying a message of comfort, strength and hope.”

“We were delighted that our auction bid for the Wings of Hope commission and a group of other paintings was successful. From the very beginning, we knew we did not want to keep it for ourselves. We wanted to gift it somewhere it could bring comfort to patients and families facing cancer, especially children who may be frightened, uncertain or struggling through their treatment.”

Having been a patient at Northwick Park Hospital since 1980, Rasik felt a strong personal connection to the hospital and knew it would be a meaningful home for the painting.

“As fate would have it, on my way out from one of my appointments, I saw a sign for the MacMillian advice centre and knocked on the door. Mary Finn, Macmillan information and support centre manager, was very helpful when I spoke to her about the possibility of donating the painting and she put me in touch with Miriam from the children’s cancer service team.”

Miriam Sager, a paediatric oncology clinical nurse specialist, said: “This is an extremely generous and thoughtful gift, and we are delighted to have it showcased in our children’s oncology (cancer) unit. Our heartfelt thanks go to Rasik and Sarla for this kind donation. We know the beauty and story of the painting will bring colour, comfort and hope to patients, families and staff for years to come.”

To find out more about the artist and the meaning of the paintings, visit his YouTube page https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5QJjVeh9nw