Every two weeks, My Edmonds News will publish a portrait made by Edmonds artist Michael Reagan, through his Fallen Heroes project, to honor a fallen U.S. solider and the loved ones they have left behind. This week, we feature three portraits with a special story, which we will let Michael tell as follows:

On April 27, 2012 a young women, Nicole Westbrook, was shot and killed in the Pioneer Square area of Seattle, by a car full of gang bangers. She and her fiancee were just taking a walk. No one has been arrested for this murder. There are no leads. She had just moved here from Colorado to go to art school, trying to put her life together. This story is about her family and one I need someone to know. I have suggested to a few local media folks I know, that this is a bigger story then just another killing in Seattle. But nothing has come of that yet. Its just not the same Seattle I grew up in anymore.

After this tragic event I decided that I wanted to do a free portrait of Nicole for her mother, Charlene Westbrook; she lives in Colorado. Sometimes included in the Fallen Hero portrait project, I decide other deaths and families need to be cared for too.  I went to the web to see how I could find Nicole’s family and let them know what I wanted to do. Tell them who I was and let them know I cared. Here’s what I ended up discovering.

On Oct. 21, 2005, Nicole’s dad and Charlene’s husband, Alan Westbrook, was killed by an IED in Bagdad, while serving in the Army. Then on Oct. 7, 2009 Kenneth Westbook, Nicole’s uncle and Alan’s brother, died from wounds suffered in Afghanistan while serving in the Army. I hadn’t been asked to do their portraits yet, in conjunction with the project, but here they were, ready for me to do.

You can make a donation to support Reagan’s work (he receives no payment for these portraits and covers materials and shipping costs himself) here.