Fall Family Portraits
Inclusion. Rewarding. Big brother interacting with little sister. These are the things that stood out to me as I talked with Casey about her life. She asked that I include the adaptive equipment that is an integral part of their lives. While posed photos would have surely been beautiful, she wanted to remember the details of what life is like in this stage with two young children. After a day of fun at the Tulsa State Fair, they met me at their home to record their life as it is.
Casey began sharing her medical journey when she was diagnosed with cancer during pregnancy. Transferred from Oklahoma to Texas for medical care, they both survived and were able to return home when the odds had been heavily against them.
This is my life.
I feed her at 8am, 11am, 2pm, 5pm, and 8pm. She is g tube dependent and takes 1-3ml by mouth a few times a week.
My diaper bag not only has diapers, wipes, and formula…. it has catheters. It has emergency equipment in case there is a problem. It has syringes. Sometimes it has a tank of oxygen as well.
This is my life. I’m a medical mama. My day revolves around my special needs toddler.
Keli Kirwin captured the beauty of what motherhood looks like for me.
And I wouldn’t change it for the world. Although this isn’t the life I imaged when I was a child, I get to love her. I get smiles. I get a new understanding of life. I am a better person because of her.
I love watching families interact during photography sessions. I look for the moments of connection, the little details that make them unique, and the threads that all families have in common. This session was particularly special as a NICU model call session because I have known Casey for decades. Her mom was my middle school teacher and I remember her dad eating Thanksgiving lunch in the cafeteria with us in elementary school. Casey was in band with me, she played flute. Her brother was in drumline with my husband.
