Faces of Cancer

Houston Marathon..........

2011-01-31T14:08:00.000-08:00

Houston Marathon Slideshow

I was lucky enough to be able to go shoot some photos of CanCare at the Houston Marathon and also do the 5k!

CATWALK FOR A CURE...............

2010-11-04T19:21:00.000-07:00

I had such a BLAST at the event today! I've never been to a real fashion show before, it was so amazing. The clothes were soooo beautiful! I was so touched by the bio that was read about me at the event, what an honor to be there and be able to be their Survivor Honoree! I'm so glad I was able to have my loving husband and wonderful mother-in-law there with me to share this moment with.

The Lindsay Foundation....Charity Golf Tournament

2010-10-12T14:50:00.000-07:00

The Lindsay Foundation is a great foundation that helps families with children that have special needs. If it weren't for all the volunteers and people that come out to the events to help support the foundation it would not be possible for The Lindsay Foundation to help all those amazing kids! I personally enjoy working with them. They are the only foundation I work with that is not centered around cancer only. Thanks guys for allowing me to come out once again and photograph your event!

Wilms tumor no more....................

2010-08-15T20:11:00.000-07:00

Vinny is a one year old sweet baby boy who was diagnosed in June of 2010 with a Wilms tumor in his kidney. He under went surgery to remove it. I met this family at a foundation event that I was shooting and offered them a photo session. I am so glad they said yes, just look at what a cute family they are! Vinny enjoys watching movies, wrestling with his big brothers, and talking. It is so clear to see how much Vinny's big brothers love him. I am so glad I had a chance to meet this sweet family! Thank you for allowing me to take these photos for you.

Amschwand Sarcoma Cancer Foundation......

2010-07-24T13:17:00.000-07:00

Team Sarcoma.....two by two! This event was held in the Galleria to raise awareness for Sarcoma. I love to see foundations in action and meet all the faces of cancer. To learn more about this global event you can go to Team-Sarcoma.net

To learn more about this foundation you can go to www.sarcomacancer.org

Mothers Against Cancer Foundation.............

2010-06-29T12:31:00.000-07:00

Mothers Against Cancer is a Foundation that dedicates it's self to raising funds for the research necessary to lead to a cure for all forms of childhood cancer. All funds raised go to Texas Children's Cancer Center.

This event involved children with cancer and cancer survivors. I was amazed at the energy these kids had. I wish I could of had more time with these families to get to know them and their stories. I just enjoyed so much being around these children. What courage they have!

Photos taken at the event will be used to make a calendar. Funds will go to Texas Children's Hospital.

I was able to have Christina with CM Photography help me shoot this event. She did a great job!

Beautiful...Graceful...Survivor...

2010-06-12T08:36:00.000-07:00

Have you ever meet someone who leaves you speechless, in a good way? I have and her name is Suzanne! She is a mother of 3 children and a wife. She enjoys watching her kids play sports. Suzanne just finished her last round of chemotherapy last week!!! What a huge accomplishment!

She found out about Faces of Cancer through CanCare. I was so excited about meeting her. Before we met I went out to her website she has to keep friends and family updated. You can go out to her site to read more on her,
www.caringbridge.org/visit/suzanne_mcentire

I was so impressed with what I read, she said " I am bald, brow less, but not broken."

Welcome to my new blog!!!!

2010-06-08T20:25:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Rita at Coffeeshop Designs for making this blog! She did a great job and on top of that had to deal with me not knowing a thing about designing a blog. I'm so excited that my clients for Faces of Cancer can come out to this exciting blog and enjoy looking at their pictures! Thank you Rita!

CanCare ....Fighting Cancer With Hope!!!!

2010-05-12T11:23:00.000-07:00

http://www.khou.com/great-day/gdh_051210_seg6-93593314.html

What a great foundation CanCare is! They are fighting cancer with hope. I had a opportunity to be on Great Day Houston, so just click on the link!

M.D. Anderson speech..............

2010-05-10T23:00:00.000-07:00

I gave a speech in September 09 at M.D. Anderson (the hospital where I received my treatment). It was a full circle moment for me. I was so grateful to have my husband, children, parents, and sister there to support me. Dr. Mendelsohn (president of MDA) is the man in the photos with me. My speech was on employee appreciation. I was so honored to be there and have the opportunity to give thanks to MDA. My speech.....................

A 22 yr. old dancer who had osteosarcoma just finished her chemo a short 8 months ago called me worried she would never dance again. She wanted to know if I was able to do things now that I did before surgery. I told her YES. She then let me know how unhappy she was with how her surgery turned out and how she was in constant pain. I asked her if she was treated at M.D. Anderson and she said NO. All I could think was how grateful I am to have had my treatment here at M.D. Anderson.

I had the most wonderful team treat me. Dr. Robert Benjamin in the osteosarcoma department and his 2 nurses Tammy and Valerie. And it’s because of them I am a wife to the most amazing husband ever, a mother to 4 beautiful children, a sister to 3 older sisters, a daughter to parents who took care of me through out this whole ordeal, a niece, a granddaughter, and a friend.

Thanks to that team working so closely with my High Risk OB during that time, I was able to give birth to a healthy 3lbs 10oz baby girl.

Thanks to Dr. Webber, Dr. Chen and all the staff who assisted them in my 13hr. long surgery I am able to walk, ride a bike, play sports, roller blade, exercise, play on the floor with my children, and all the things I did before surgery.

All because of the employees of M.D. Anderson, I am able to enjoy life after cancer!

It is because of you that the letters I wrote to my 2 beautiful little girls in case I died will NEVER be read.

Then and now may we salute the medical professionals of M.D. Anderson who labored and labor so hard to treat, nurse, test, record, consult, fax papers, answer phones, clean, and many more of these endless tasks that are required of them on a daily basis.

Because of all of you fulfilling those requirements…..it was possible for me to be here today!

Paws for a cause..........

2010-05-02T20:14:00.000-07:00

The Jori Zemel Foundation and The Gabriel Institute have combined efforts to finding a cure for Osteosarcoma. Bone cancer also effects large breed dogs as well as children. All proceeds go to M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and Texas A&M University. The Jori Zemel Foundation and The Gabriel Institute are dedicated to finding a cure for Osteosarcoma. I was honored to be there today and do the walk and of coarse take some photos! What a great cause.

Winning the battle against leukemia..........

2010-04-25T10:12:00.000-07:00

Ian is a 7 year old boy winning the battle against Leukemia also known as A.L.L. He was diagnosed in July of 09. He is entering his maintenance phase which is very good!!! Ian receives treatment at TX Children's Hospital and loves it there! He was full of energy during the shoot but who wouldn't be when they receive a blood transfusions, he was in the hospital the night before till 1am getting blood. Ian smiles more than any kid I have ever met. He is a happy little boy with a bright future! It was such a blessing for me to see that even though Ian has cancer, that little boy is as normal as any other 7 year old. Thank you to Ian and his family for allowing me to take there photos.

"Ride For The Bear" slide show.............

2010-04-16T20:14:00.000-07:00

Turn your speakers on there is music with the slide show.

Ride for the Bear.............

2010-04-11T09:27:00.000-07:00

The Lindsay Foundation dedicates itself to helping children with special needs. I really enjoyed being able to take photos for the foundation! It was so cool to see all the bikes and all the riders. To know all those people came out to help special needs children filled my heart with joy. Having a child myself who is hearing impaired I know this foundation is doing an amazing thing.

Faith......................

2010-04-06T12:40:00.000-07:00

So things have once again changed a bit. But like I said, I am taking things as they come. To be honest when I first had the thought to do photography for families that suffer with cancer I wanted to make everything completely free. That just sounded crazy to me, all I could think of was the cost and can I afford it.? I will have gas, cd, bubble envelopes, mailing cost, and everything else that goes with it. I was originally going to charge cost to these families but have decided not to.

I guess this is where faith comes in, right? When I think about service money never crosses my mind so why would I charge. Service is something you do for someone else without getting something in return. I must have faith that things will work out!

Ah....ha Moments

2010-04-05T10:32:00.000-07:00

When I first had the idea to take photos of the faces of cancer I thought to myself that this would be a nice thing to do for others. As it turns out this is a very nice thing others can do for me. I find that the more I get involved with cancer the more I learn about myself and what it really means to serve others. I think to myself is this my talent I want to share or is this a talent my Heavenly Father gave to me to share with others. I believe this is a talent that Heavenly Father gave to me so that I could share it with others.

I have enjoyed being involved with the cancer community! It really puts things into perspective, like whats petty and whats important. Seeing people fight for their lives or hearing stories of children fighting for their lives really opens my eyes to what I am willing to make a fuss over or just say who cares. I am finding myself to be less offended by others and more understanding ( or saying who cares).

I am enjoying this journey very much! I am so excited about being involved with a foundation called CanCare. They truly know what it is people need in their lives. I have learned more from them in the past few months then I have learned in the past few years. I'm not sure if that is sad or if CanCare is just that amazing, maybe it's both.

When I die it wont matter what car I drove, how big my house was or even how much money I had in my banking account. What will matter is was I a good mother and wife and did I serve others. It's the relationships I build that I will take with me, not my earthly possessions. In the world we live in today it can be hard to remember those things but I try to remind myself often.

I am far from perfect and make mistakes daily but I am trying my hardest. I know my Heavenly Father knows my heart. When I return to him I want him to be proud of me. Life can be messy but we must try out hardest to clean it up before we return to live with him again.

So much to do..................

2010-03-25T11:55:00.000-07:00

So I've been meeting with foundations left and right,I'm trying to get my website up and running, trying to fulfill all my responsibilities as a mother and wife, and everything else I have going on. I thought I could do this all by myself but as time goes on I realize I need help. Since I am doing this with no financial gain, I have realized that I may need to ask people for donations of any kind. It can be a cute hat, chair, stool, bench, tutu, cd, envelopes, or anything to help provide nice photos for these families. If you donate money it will go to buying the supplies. I don't have everything figured out yet, I'm just trying to take things as they come.

A New Journey....................

2010-03-13T19:41:00.000-08:00

It was hard deleting all my photos on here of people I love or know. I want this blog to be about photographing cancer. I had the chance to be a Layla Grace follower and I must say she has changed my heart in many ways, one being that I have a deep passion to photograph children with cancer. It is because of her that I am now starting a new journey working with different foundations doing just that.

I don't just want to photograph children with cancer, I want to give hope to them, wrap my arms around them, and tell them how proud I am of them for fighting this nasty disease. I may be doing this for selfish reasons, but don't we all!?

I am still in the process of meeting with foundations to see if I will be a good fit for them. I have 2 foundations that I will be meeting with in the next few weeks and one that wants to get back to me after talking to her boss.

The more I think about this the more joy I feel. Anyone who knows me knows patience isn't one of my virtues. I know it will take time to spread the word and get in with foundations. I am so grateful to the foundations who call me back and take me serious. Not all foundation get back to me or even respond to my e-mails but what that does is push me even harder to make sure I am matched with the right foundations.

I don't know where this will take me but I do know this is what I am suppose to be doing.

Riding Through Life...................

2010-03-12T12:42:00.000-08:00

This is Alex, he is a cancer survivor! This summer he is biking from Oregon to Virgina to raise money for CanCare. Alex said, " I want to bring awareness to the staff and volunteers at CanCare who wake daily and seek to comfort those going through the physical and emotional turmoil of a nasty disease."

I had the chance to meet Alex on a CanCare volunteer training weekend. I can't wait till Alex starts his journey across America! If you would like to follow him you can go to ridingthroughlife-alex.blogspot.com

Soul Searching............

2010-03-10T12:38:00.001-08:00

Cancer isn't always a bad thing, I know, I had it and it saved my life! I am now wanting to give back. I've been going through a transformation this year and it's been amazing! I am so proud of myself and I've never been able to say those words till now. I've been touched by the spirit in so many ways and been prompted to take photos of people with cancer and cancer survivors. When I started the photography journey I wasn't sure where it would take me until now.

I will be focusing on taking photos for people with cancer and cancer survivors! I am so deeply touched by children with cancer and can't wait to have the chance to work with them.

My feelings on doing this is people with cancer already pay soooo much in medical bills and to charge them for photos, just isn't right. I like the idea of taking photos of cancer survivors to give hope to those with cancer. Also, I know when I had cancer I didn't feel pretty and to be able to make someone feel good about themselves gives me such joy. I also like the idea of the person with cancer being able to look back on those photos and say "wow, look what I accomplished"!

God only made a few perfect heads, the rest he put hair on...................

2010-01-31T19:28:00.001-08:00

I see this tall (6ft 6inches to be exact) middle aged, bald, easy on the eyes man and I think to myself does this guy have cancer? He must, he is bald, no eye lashes, no eye brows, no hair anywhere from what I can see. I debate do I go up to him and ask him if he has cancer? I walk up and asked him just that and he looked at me almost as if I had bothered him and said, no. I'm almost in shock thinking to myself then what does he have. He told me it was Alopecia and goes on to explain to me what it is. I was so intrigued by him I asked him if I could sit down with him and ask him some questions about Alopecia. Surprisingly he says yes.

Alopecia Areata Universalis (also know as AA) is a medical condition involving rapid hair loss from head to toe. It is the most severe form of AA. It is an autoimmune disease in which the body attacks itself, in this case, the hair follicles.

Barry Coon was born with Alopecia Areata Universalis. He had a very supportive and loving family growing up. Barry tried all methods known to help with AA including creams, shampoos, and steroid shots. When nothing would work he did what most people would do and bought a wig. All of Barry's friends in high school encouraged him not to wear the wig and to be who he is. So he did just that. His friends helped build his confidence by accepting him for who he really was. From that day on Barry never tried to hide that he had AA. In fact his hair grew back for one year in college and he would shave it off.

Barry is not one to make a fuss over having AA. His wife said," I think he feels like it was a hurdle, he's over it, now move on". Barry did just that.

To the medical field this is a disease but to Barry this is just something he mastered as a youth. Barry did not let AA hold him back, in fact it pushed him to be out spoken and an attention grabber.

Barry Coon is a husband, a father (to two beautiful girls), and a firefighter who loves to help people. If he could offer advice to someone with Alopecia he would tell them that hair doesn't make a person. It's plain to see that Barry is a strong person and isn't going to let AA dictate his life. He says," It is what it is".

I'm so glad I got the chance to meet Barry. I never knew there was such a thing called Alopecia. I always thought that if someone was bald head to toe it meant they had cancer. It reminded me to never judge a book by it's cover. I think we all need to be reminded of that every once in a while. Barry says,"I'm just an ordinary man living an ordinary life" but what he doesn't know is others (including myself) may not think he is JUST ordinary.