I got an email from a grandmother a few weeks back about scheduling a beach session for her 1 year-old grandson, Brayden. She went on to tell me that Brayden has cancer in the form of an in-operable brain tumor. My heart sank of course, as I cannot imagine what pain the she and the parents of the child must be experiencing. And of course, I wanted to do the session for free as a gift for the family. The time came and Brayden was well enough to make the trip from Kansas City to Pensacola Beach fortunately, as that was a big concern for them. I admit, I was nervous about meeting him and photographing him because I thought it might be emotionally tough. However it was the opposite. Little Brayden is FULL of life. The family were in great spirits. They seemed as if they were just a normal family and a normal vacation. We did the session in the morning and I have great hope that Brayden has many, many mornings left to see in his life. It was an honor to be chosen by them to capture such a special occasion. Get well Brayden!!! Nora and us will be praying for you every night.
On a side note: My photo lab of choice is MPIX.com and they threw in a $25 gift certificate for Brayden to help offset print costs just a bit. Thought that was cool of them!
For information on Brayden check out his Standing with Brayden Website and Standing with Brayden Facebook page
