Retailer, foundation transform attic into art-school substitute for Sofia Nielsen, 18

By Michelle Hopkins, Special To The Vancouver Sun May 7, 2010



I was skeptical at first when I was told I could have anything I wanted,' Sofia reports. Her parents, too, had plans for the attic in the family home, but quickly gave them up. 'The attic was supposed to be my parents' new big bedroom...'

PNG / Sofia Nielsen and mother Myna in the new studio. ' . . . I was skeptical at first when I was told I could have anything I wanted,' Sofia reports. Her parents, too, had plans for the attic in the family home, but quickly gave them up. 'The attic was supposed to be my parents' new big bedroom...'
Photograph by: Les Bazso, Special To The Sun

It started with a wish.

Like many teen artists, Sofia Nielsen has dreamed of one day becoming the next Picasso. But the 18-year-old is weakened by a lifelong battle with cystic fibrosis, making art school difficult, if not impossible.

There is no cure for cystic fibrosis, a genetic, multi-organ disease that strikes children and young adults, primarily affecting the lungs and digestive system.

Sofia's lungs are the most gravely affected, as well as her pancreas. A buildup of thick mucus in the lungs causes severe breathing problems, meaning Sofia spends at least two weeks in the hospital four times a year for physiotherapy and IV-delivered antibiotics.

It was while Sofia was at BC Children's Hospital last September, fighting off yet another serious infection, that a social worker asked her if she had heard about the Make-A-Wish^® Foundation, the non-profit organization that grants wishes for children and teenagers dealing with life-threatening diseases.

"I had never heard about them, and I was skeptical at first when I was told I could have anything I wanted," says Sofia, who needs to take 40 pills very day.

Initially, the teen toyed with the idea of taking a road trip with her older sister Anika, who also suffers from cystic fibrosis. But then she envisioned her own art studio.

"My favourite thing in the world is arts, so why not an art studio?" Sofia says. "When I started meeting with Jennifer [Booth, a volunteer wish-granter with the B.C. and Yukon division of the organization], we thought of buying a shed in the back yard for my studio.

"Then, my mom said I would have more space if we converted the attic into my studio/ bedroom."

Sofia pauses for a moment before adding: "The attic was supposed to be my parents' new big bedroom, but when Make-A-Wish happened, my parents wanted me to have it."

Sofia has lived in a home in North Delta with parents Myna and Barry Nielsen since 2000. The home was built as a farmhouse more than 60 years ago.

"This house is the oldest house on the street and was built by a farmer to house his aging parents," says Barry. "The attic was a functioning room, but needed to be upgraded."

The Coquitlam outlet of Swedish furniture giant IKEA came on board, offering to donate all the furniture and accessories needed to fulfil Sofia's wish.

"This wish was such a perfect fit for IKEA," says Ryan Lim, marketing director for the store and a volunteer man of all trades on Sofia's project. "Across Canada, IKEA stores have recently partnered with the Make-A-Wish Foundation."

Then, Sofia got to do what many teens only dream of: Go on a free shopping spree.

Before she visited the store, the design team -- it consisted of interior designers Don Tkachuk, Julianna Lutz, Caity Long and Thomas Rasmussen -- armed themselves with Sofia's sketches, and drew up a plan. They assessed how much furniture would be needed and determined where it would be placed, and considered how they were going to reconfigure the space.

Then, accompanied by Booth, as well as her parents and grandmother Florence Nielsen, Sofia cruised the aisles of IKEA, telling the store's design team what she liked and what she didn't.

"Sofia was very much involved in the whole process," says Booth. "A large group came out with a design board and layout to show how they put her ideas to work ... Her face was beaming and she was so excited, that alone was pure magic."

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/health/IKEA+creates+studio+Make+Wish+teen/2997936/story.html#ixzz0ppHeGN4y

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