Brighten Your Day

Woman Battling Cancer Receives Home Makeover From Volunteer Painters

April 18, 2025

Today's good news story comes from North Vancouver, British Columbia.

In a heartwarming show of support, nearly 40 painters came together over the weekend to give a meaningful gift to a woman facing Stage 4 cancer: a freshly painted home.

Andrea Mundie's house / Credit: Andrea Mundie

Andrea Mundie was nominated for the charitable project through Student Works Painting — a company that trains young painters while also giving back to the community. On Friday, both experienced painters and beginners rolled up their sleeves to scrape, sand, prime, and apply two coats of cream-colored paint around Mundie’s home.

Mundie, who was first diagnosed with cancer in 2022, learned in January that it had returned and spread to her brain. Doctors were able to remove the tumor, but she continues to battle the disease.

Despite the challenges, the project brought joy and togetherness for her and her four children, who helped choose the cheerful color palette—transforming a black front door into a bright yellow focal point.

“When we saw it after it was done, it just looks so clean,” Mundie told North Shore News. “Something as simple as paint just changes the whole look of everything.”

She also reflected on how the experience reminded her of the importance of receiving kindness.

“It’s taken me a little bit of time to learn that it’s a good thing to say yes to things,” she said. “It’s always sort of felt like I needed to do everything on my own.”

“When you don’t accept stuff like that from people, you kind of take that experience away from them too. So it just reminded me that it’s okay to need something sometimes.”

Looking ahead, Student Works Painting aims to continue making a lasting difference in the communities they support.

“It’s a bit more than just a painting business,” said Tomoki Okamura, district manager for Student Works Painting. “We want to obviously be a bigger part of it and show that affection to the community, more than just painting houses.”