by MICHELLE BOUDIN / NewsChannel 36
Bio | Email | Follow: @MichelleBoudinWCNC.com
Posted on December 2, 2010 at 6:16 PM
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The story of Ellie Potvin has been nothing short of inspiring to so many here in the Charlotte community and even around the world.
The 8-year-old lost her battle to cancer in June, but she continues to inspire.
“She was just an amazing little girl,” said Anne Nielson.
Nielson is a Charlotte-based artist who worked with Ellie, creating paintings and later prints to help raise money. They have now been sold to people as far as way as Australia and Italy.
“She did say ‘I want to be known as the little girl that is an artist, she didn’t want to be the little girl with cancer,’” said Nielson.
Nielson has also donated some profits from her own work and raised almost $20,000 dollars for the Lift Up Foundation. Ellie’s family started that foundation to try to help others facing what they faced.
“We’re going to heal through giving back to others in the community and reaching out to people who are in need,” said Amy Potvin, Ellie’s mother.
Amy says it’s all she knows to do — follow her daughters’ inspiration.
“Ellie taught us how to give,” she says. “Ellie, in her worst of times, was always thinking of the other person and how they were feeling.”
The little girl’s art will be sold at another fundraiser this weekend; a special painting will be among them.
“This was the last painting that Ellie did. It’s called guardian angel. It was basically Ellie’s goodbye to us all saying she’s going to be with us watching us from heaven,” says Amy. “It was just a way for her to let us know she’ll always be with us.”
Amy says she is certain Ellie’s spirit will be there at this weekend’s fundraiser — as little girls have tea with Mrs. Claus. Ellie and Grace loved having tea parties. It will be held at the Ballantyne Resort on Saturday, with ten percent of the proceeds going to the Lift Up Foundation.
“She was a special little girl she was a special little girl, and were so proud of her.”
If you’d like to see the art, you can go to www.annenielsonfineart.com. You can also check out the Potvin foundation at www.liftupfoundation.org.
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