OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — Not many 19-year-olds can say they have generated a million dollars for charity, but Jeff Hanson, from Overland Park, can.
Fox 4 has followed Hanson’s story of being a visually impaired artist since he was a teenager, and Saturday night not only celebrated money raised for charity, but also Hanson’s artwork.
“Now pretty much I work out of my home. Mom and dad help me do the business stuff and we all paint together,” the now full-time artist said.
When Fox 4 had first met Hanson, he had struggled to defeat an optic tumor caused by a genetic disorder called neurofibromatosis that he nicknamed “Clod.”
“You know eight years ago right now we were just working to save his vision,” said Julie Hanson, Hanson’s mother.
His vision improved and Hanson started giving back to some of his favorite charities like the Children’s Tumor Foundation. He had raised money by selling some of his artwork at the end of his driveway, but then made a bold move.
“It was at 300 thousand when I said this. And then I said ‘do you think by the time I’m 20, that I could do a million dollars for charity?’ And mom said ‘that’s a hard goal but maybe,’” he said.
Then in May of this year, it happened once he had donated some art to charities for auction.
“It was fantastic because it happened at the Dallas Make-a-wish and everything’s big in Texas, they’re never out done,” Hanson said.
He celebrated reaching his goal two days before his 20th birthday.
“We are very excited to say that as of right now we’ve defeated ‘Clod.’ Neurofibromatosis he’ll live with that every day, but life is very joyful right now. And he is doing great,” said his mother.
She also said that Hanson’s art will be on a Porsche at the Daytona 500 race to raise money for the children’s tumor foundation.
