The walls in Billy’s room are painted blue (one of his favorite colors) and are papered with posters of Raffi (his favorite musician) and . . . his art.

Billy recently graduated from the HMS School for Children with Cerebral Palsy, in University City, which serves school-age children and young adults through age 21 who have complex, multiple disabilities. Billy is also a Fresh Artist.

We met him several years ago when his teacher, Eiko Fan, approached us about a partnership. Because HMS is a private school it technically does not qualify for Fresh Artists’ support. But we knew the school served Philadelphia public school students through the District’s relationship with special education providers. And Eiko further pled her case. Her students, she explained, have all the art supplies they need, and wouldn’t be applying for grants from Fresh Artists. What was most important, she said, was for the children to have the opportunity to be philanthropic through their art. Her rationale made sense. That initial conversation launched a powerful partnership.

Billy, like many kids at HMS, has cerebral palsy with limited use of his hands. His mother Michele described the unique way in which he has learned to paint – a kind of Rube Goldberg set up, devised by Ms. Fan, which enables him to create breathtaking art – like the painting chosen for our Renuzit campaign.

He wears two caps – a bicycle helmet and a baseball cap rigged up to a long extension that holds a paintbrush. When he was at HMS, Ms. Fan held the canvas in front of Billy while he moved his head up and down. He uses a communication device to make choices: does he want to use blue? Maybe yellow? Once he has the color he prefers, he manipulates his headgear to achieve the effect he wants.

At home, says Michele, when she wants to know what activity he wants to do next, all she has to say is: “Do you want to paint?” and Billy will beam at her.

“He’s got a smile that’s very infectious,” she says. “And he loves to be around bright colors and activity.”

Billy was part of a group of kids who painted interpretations of Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, several of which were chosen to be on the first Fresh Artists Collection of Renuzit air freshener products.  The prominent home products company chose Fresh Artists as its corporate social responsibility partner by featuring the talented and generous children in Fresh Artists and making a donation to support our mission of kids helping other kids through their art.

Last July, Billy and his family came to a local Walmart to help kick off the Renuzit campaign.

“I told him,” said Michele, “your painting helps boys and girls that aren’t lucky enough to have art supplies like you.”

“The fact that he looked at me and smiled tells me he gets it, she said. “Not everyone is as lucky as he is.”