Heartbreaking reason a nine-year-old’s painting sold for $100,000
A Sydney woman has revealed why she spent $100,000 on a painting of a nine-year-old girl at a recent charity auction.
The winning bidder, Jo Kinghorn, told 2GB’s Ben Fordham that while she didn’t wake up expecting to spend six figures that day, she was “so grateful” the painting ended up in her hands.
Evie Poolman, the young artist behind the work titled Lone Soldier, died two years ago from an aggressive form of brain tumor known as diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), also known as DMG.
“It was incredibly important to myself, but also that money was made to help find a cure, it’s so important,” she said.
“I saw firsthand what this did to a family and the strength of this family is indescribable.”
Mrs Kinghorn said her long-time friends, Evie’s parents Chuck and Bridget Poolman, decided to auction off their daughter’s art at the Heels 2 Heel Charity luncheon in an effort to raise money and awareness for DIPG research.
Evie Poolman, the young artist behind the work Lone Soldier, died two years ago
Evie had undergone four separate brain surgeries and 30 rounds of radiation by the time she died in June 2021, just six months after she was first diagnosed with the condition.
“I didn’t understand the intensity of the diagnosis, but I could see it in their faces,” she said.
“I have never seen the blood rush out of my body and experienced that feeling of fear and overwhelming sadness.”
Evie had undergone four separate brain surgeries and 30 rounds of radiation by the time she died in June 2021, just six months after she was first diagnosed with the condition.
Ms Kinghorn urged the Government to focus attention and funding on this issue, as the Federal Government has committed less than $1 million to DIPG research since 2015.
The cancer accounts for 10-15 percent of all brain tumors in children and fewer than 10 percent of children survive two years after diagnosis because there is no treatment or cure8, according to the RUN DIPG organization.
“I don’t understand… I know the government has a lot of issues to deal with, but this is definitely not being looked at enough,” Ms Kinghorn said.
“The $100,000 came out of my back pocket and I’m very grateful that I was able to do this… but it’s just a drop in the bucket in terms of what’s needed, and the government has the ability to do these trials financed properly.
“Please, please, please, put this at the forefront of your conversation and just help.”