This month I had the privilege of photographing children and families for Flashes of Hope’s Tulsa chapter.
Flashes of Hope provided photos to children and teens who are battling cancer. A volunteer stylist came to the hospital to get the kids and families ready for photos. The photographers donated the session and editing and my photo lab will donate printed portraits to the families at no cost.
The idea is to take the focus off the cancer and focus solely on the child and making memories. For the time I spend with them my only concern is making them feel happy, loved, and important.
This was my first chance to donate my time to Flashes of Hope and I would love to do it again.
My fellow photographer Jasmine came along to assist me in moving equipment, posing and lighting.
We photographed a few kiddos during chemo, a few who were midway into the battle, and some who were in remission.
Direct from Flashes of Hope’s website:
“Founded in 2001 by the parents of a child with cancer, we are a volunteer driven organization solely focused on children’s cancer. With chapters in 55 cities, we photograph more than 50% of the children annually diagnosed in the United States.
Since its founding in 2001, we have photographed 64,885 children at hospitals and camps across the United States.
For too many families, the portrait is the last one they have of their child. Thousands of children are waiting for a cure while doctors are forced to use outdated and toxic treatments. Cancer is the leading disease killer of children yet childhood cancer receives only 4% of federal funding for research.”
While preparing for this photo session I was asked if I could handle it; wouldn’t it make me sad? The first thing that came to my mind was “if they can handle it then I can handle it.” I cannot remember who said it or where I heard it but that was my mantra for the day.
I will never hear from the families after the photos were taken. I will miss the responses when they see the photos (usually my favorite part of any session), however, the knowledge that these families will treasure these memories is more than enough for me.
These are not my favorites of each Child – I save those to surprise the parents.
This is a fantastic charity and one I am happy to support.
