Young artist pitches in for Children’s

Cormac O’Connor is a car kid. He and his younger brother, Ronan, often sit at their Kenmore living-room window and watch in amazement as vehicles drive by. They’ve also got a stellar collection of Matchbox toy four-wheelers that keep them busy, in a chaotic sort of way, according to mom, Katie.

Cormac, 4, is also driven to draw pictures.

Last April, Valerie Brotman — whose daughter, Kelly Montana Hamerton, died of a brain tumor at Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center in Seattle — asked if the youngster wanted to contribute some art to her upcoming project, Chocolate Box candy.

Katie and husband, Chris, gave it the OK, and Cormac began sketching a Christmas tree that was soon to be screen-printed onto Brotman’s chocolates.

“It was a little confusing to explain drawing a Christmas tree in April,” said Katie, noting that Cormac’s Chocolate Box flavor is peppermint. “He loved Christmas trees last year. When we went to the Brier lights, he loved the Christmas lights. And the drawing ended up on candy, which was exciting for him.”

The O’Connors befriended Brotman during their visits to Children’s to monitor Cormac’s reflux condition, in which urine flows backward from the bladder into the kidneys and can damage them. Every year, Cormac has an ultrasound.

“If the kidneys become too swollen, they could lose functionality or he could lose a kidney. He’s never had a medical issue because of it because we knew about it since I was pregnant,” Katie said. “Most people find out (later) and (the child) can get a urinary tract infection.

“The hope is that he will be able to outgrow it as he gets older. If not, he’ll just be one of the many people with reflux who lead a perfectly normal life,” she added as her children asked to put a Rush CD on the portable kitchen stereo.

Brotman’s project didn’t just nudge Cormac and others to churn out some artwork — he also likes to ride his trike and play the game Candyland — but she’s giving one-third of the Chocolate Box proceeds back to Children’s. Cost of the boxes, which were unveiled at a party in September, are $18 from www.sschocolatebox.com.

Katie said the O’Con-nors were on board beyond the artwork when they heard of Brotman’s game plan.

“It holds more significance, it’s a fun way to donate to Children’s,” she said. “Children’s has done a lot for us. Just going to Children’s for our appointments is a powerful experience, and it’s nice to be involved in projects that give back to the community.”

As Cormac draws a picture of cars at a small kitchen table, it’s obvious that he’s serious about his hobby.

“When he does stuff, he wants to be precise and accurate,” Katie said, noting that Cormac knows that he’s drawing for a good cause.

Cormac’s eyes lit up when he saw his picture at the chocolate party, according to Katie.

“He said, ‘Wow, I did that!’”