Touching Story Of The Day: Visually Impaired Teen Paints Beautifully To Raise Money!

An optic nerve tumor and a battle with chemotherapy and radiation was not enough to stop 17 year old Jeffery Owen Hanson. No way, not in the slightest.

He worked his way through 3 years towards recovery, but still couldn't play school sports and the like. So he started painting.

He couldn't use realism, but the abstract paintings he created using bright watercolors on index cards were more than staggering. And he back to sell them. At his lemonade stand. Called Jeff's Bistro.

The paintings went quickly, and before the summer was over he'd sold over 5,000 of them and raised over $15,000 for charity.

Hanson has advanced his work and now paints on canvas with acrylics. He continues to paint for charities that have “touched his life,” raising as much as $15,000 for each. He has contributed to charities such as Children’s Mercy Hospital and the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

As a young teenage boy, Hanson has chosen not to dwell on his condition, but has helped others through his talent. Currently, he has raised over $350,000 and wants to reach at least $1 million.

He has even touched the lives of celebrities such as Billy Joel, Michael Cera, Jack Black, Warren Buffet and Bill Gates.

This is so incredible, and SO inspirational!

What a wonderful thing to do for your fellow human beings, Jeff! We're so proud to hear of your progress, and we hope that you reach that $1 mil mark!

If you'd like to help and buy one of his paintings, go here!

Tags: celebrities, charity, child, children, foundation, help, hospital, inspiration, recovery, school, summer, tumor, young