First I will make some assumptions. Is your son still alive?

Now for the assumptions; An alkyd type varnish with an acrylic type white. If these assumptions are correct, all hope is not lost.

If the varnish was more than a week old and the white paint is less than say a month old, you will want to get an ammoniated cleaner such as Windex. Spray some cleaner on a soft white cloth to the point of saturation. With your fingernail scratch off as much of the paint as possible being sure you do not scratch the varnish. Following your scratching, use the soft cloth with the cleaner and try to dissolve the white paint. This takes patience as you are trying to dissolve the white paint and trying to not scratch the varnish.