Linda Sales has done several portraits of the famous clown Emmett Kelly Jr. – and he was very pleased with the images she captured.
One day, Linda received a call from Emmett, who asked her to do a portrait of him with a little girl named Missi Anderson. Missi suffered a seizure that left her paralyzed and unable to communicate. Emmett, through the Make a Wish Foundation, was going to spend a day with Missi in the hospital. Emmett sent Linda separate pictures of him and Missi—and Linda did a portrait of the two of them together. She went out of her way to make it look like the two of them were together at the time of the portrait.
Here is the letter Linda received from Missi’s family:
Dear Linda,
We’ve tried to think of words that could describe our emotion when we opened the package containing the woodburning picture of Emmett Kelly Jr. and our daughter Missi. I think a local reporter said it best when he wrote, ‘the only eye that didn’t mist when her parents saw that was one made of stone.’ The memories that came rushing back of the little girl that was so full of life and love were as vivid as the day the photo was taken. We can’t begin to tell you how much this picture means to us. The memory of the instant we opened it will live with us forever.
We wish you could have been there with us to share in a truly glorious day. Because of your superior talent, we have a picture that marks a highlight in what has been a long road for Missi.
Linda, again thank you, from the bottom of our heart for making November 19, 1990 a day the Anderson family and friends will never forget.
