We’ve all heard some form of the quote that goes something like, you’re not measured by the time that you have on earth but what you do with it. It’s been attributed to Abe Lincoln as well as several others. Just like a picture can paint a thousand words, a good example can bring a story to life in a way that an anecdote cannot.
I’d like to introduce you to Andrew Lee. Andrew died on Easter Sunday, four years after a Stage 4 diagnosis of a rare form of kidney cancer called, HLRCC. The disease has no known cure and Andrew’s life expectancy at diagnosis was measured in months, not years.
Andrew exceeded all expectations and survived for four years after his diagnosis through his participation in experimental treatments and trials. But it’s what he did with his short time that makes him so special and beloved.
Andrew had a passion for cars, his dream car being a Nissan GTR. With his family’s support, Andrew’s was able to purchase a GTR, which he decked out in bright orange, the color that represents kidney cancer. He formed a nonprofit organization called Driven to Cure and used the vehicle as a platform to raise not only awareness but much needed funds for cure research.
The car and Andrews campaign have been featured at numerous car shows and events around the country, and together they raised more than $500,000 with donations from 160 countries.
Foreverence was honored to engage with Andrew’s family to build a one off, custom cremation urn sculpture that best represented his life and passions. When we work with families there is often a discussion or even a debate about what artistic design best represents a person’s life. In Andrew’s case there was none. It was the Orange GTR and all that it not it only meant to him and his family, but to hopefully generations of others who will be affected by Andrews ambition to make the very most of his precious time.
