An Edmonton mother hopes the “perfect storm” will fulfill her son’s final wish. Her son expressed himself through music-inspired artwork during his battle with cancer.

She wants to give a painting to the pop star who inspired him the most.

Looking back, Lori Groves says her son Connor Groves loved the art-filled days the most.

“Connor was just a wonderful person, he always had a smile on his face and always had a joke ready,” said Lori.

Connor discovered the hobby at the age of 21 after his twin brother Zach discovered it. For both of them, the canvas is a means of expressing themselves.

“They were diagnosed with Fragile X Syndrome and autism at a young age. We were told we should put them in an institution because they would never amount to anything in life,” Lori said.

Their art was inspired by the music. They painted how the songs made them feel, and the music opened up a new level of creativity for both brothers, especially Connor.

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“He listened to the song a few times, then chose the colors, and then painted the patterns on his canvas. He just kept listening, moving the images, and creating his art. It was just incredible,” Lori said.

Things got even more therapeutic when Connor was diagnosed with colon cancer. His favorite singer, P!nk, was always on repeat.

Connor became a fan of her music four years ago and during his battle with cancer the songs “When I Get There” and “Perfect” were a real inspiration to him.

“When he drew ‘Perfect’ for P!nk, you could just see what the lyrics meant to him. He said, ‘Mommy, nobody’s perfect and she loves everyone even if they’re not perfect.’ That just made him feel good.”

Connor wanted to give the painting to P!nk when she performed in Edmonton on August 31. But on August 5, Connor died while listening to P!nk’s “Perfect.”

“It was his last wish. He wanted to visit her and give her the painting or invite her to his place if he couldn’t give it to her. He just felt a connection to her that he wanted to show her,” Lori said.

His family hopes to keep Connor’s dream alive and share his art with his idol in any way possible.

“It would have enriched his life. He just wanted to tell her how special she is and how important she is to him.”

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