God bless our hero’s. May we all celebrate Travis is alive day with thankful hearts as he has given so much to protect our freedom. Please take the time to share this trailer so that we can honor this brave soldier!

Please share away this link: https://vimeo.com/63741772

       

The trailer will launch on facebook.com/fotolanthropy

Follow the Mills New Page at: http://on.fb.me/YJWF8R

 Fotostory completed by Fotocrew Member, Amanda Holcomb

The story of Kerri Gale is one that has touched me far more than I ever anticipated.  Kerri’s story came to us through Monique VanHummel. Kerri is a young, beautiful wife and mother of 3 seriously adorable children.  On the day of her portrait session I loved seeing her happy family come walking up to the park where we did their pictures.  The boys hugged and loved on their Mom so much and her husband was always watching out for his wife to make sure she wasn’t too tired or taking on too much. This is one incredibly close and loving family.

Around 2 years ago, 2 days before her baby’s first birthday, Kerri lost consciousness and had a seizure.  She went to the hospital and immediately found out that she had a large mass the size of a softball in her brain. She never had any symptoms that she might have cancer, however that day she was diagnosed with a brain tumor (stage 3 cancer). She was told she only had 3 years to live.  With so much to live for she decided to get a second opinion and found the right doctor who didn’t put an expiration date on her life.  Around four to six weeks after her diagnosis she had surgery where they cut out 90% of the tumor.  The rest would require six weeks of radiation and a long year of chemotherapy.  Following treatment, she had to have rehabilitation therapy to relearn simple tasks such as writing.  She started writing again in a personal journal as part of her therapy.  Today she is cancer free, but she knows that she is never fully out of the woods with brain cancer. She will continue to go for scans every 2 months for 2 years and will always do scans for the rest of her life.

Kerri has said that her faith, trust, and love of God has gotten her through this rough trial in her life. Her husband and college sweetheart, Charlie is her rock. Through their portraits I hope you see the love and adoration Charlie has for Kerri. It is overwhelmingly evident when you are in their presence and is such a joy to watch.  They have seen God’s hand through this challenging time.

They have such a beautiful family. They have twin boys Gray and Bauer who at the time of the diagnosis were 3 (now 5) and their sweet baby boy Charlie Jr. (now 3) Her children are her motivation, and we talked for a long while about her love for them and how much she enjoys being a mom.  She expressed her strong desire to be there to watch her babies grow. She would read to her kids an amazing book called “The Goodbye Cancer Garden”.  It is a story that concludes with the idea that when the pumpkins grow then Mommy will be done with cancer. It was very meaningful since the pumpkins would be out in October, which is when she was to complete her treatment.  The kids looked forward to fall and seeing the pumpkins come back so they would know their Mommy was ok again. I adored this story and that she read it so many times to her little angels.  It was their source of hope for the future and a way for them to understand a little of what their brave mom was going through and that there was an end in sight.

Kerri shared so much with me, I wish I could write everything down for you to understand what a brave and strong woman she is. She spoke so highly of her church and friends who helped her so much along the way. She couldn’t drive for a year so her friends drove her everywhere, helped with the kids and so much more.  She has a light within her and you cannot help but love being around her. Kerri has constantly turned to God throughout all of this and is so grateful for all she has in this life. She now hopes to help others as they go through similar struggles.  She has such a big heart and is a beautiful person inside and out. I am so grateful I could meet her and get to know her lovely family.

If you would like to continue to follow Kerri’s story or learn more about her journey, visit her caring bridge page here: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/kerrigale

A few words from Katie about this great experience.

The day of the interview was quite surreal and one I will never forget. After the interview, we celebrated with the crew, family and friends. I would like to encourage you if you are reading and have a stirring in your heart to go for a dream, it is worth it. Entrepreneurship is not always glamorous but its moments like this day that it makes each fight worth it. Thank you to everyone who has encouraged me along this journey!” – Katie Norris

Fotostory completed by Fotocrew member, Bayleigh Malone 

It has been such a blessing for me to get to know Teresa, Evan, and Emmett! Teresa lost her husband, Dale Taylor, in a helicopter accident last February. This story made big news in Mobile when it happened, as the city grieved the loss of four brave men. Now about 9 months removed from the accident, the Taylor family is navigating the waters of grief with grace and strength that can only come from the Lord.

When we were trying to decide what we wanted to do for their Fotostory, we decided we wanted to incorporate things that would honor the memory of Dale. The boys wrote letters about Dad that we attached to coast guard colored balloons. They also decided to wear their big leather jackets they received after he passed away, while Teresa wore her hubby’s. Even though this family is heartbroken over the loss of the man they loved so much, they exude so much joy and hope. I hope that comes through in these photos!

Although I never met Dale, it is obvious from meeting his family that he was an amazing guy. I know he must be so proud of his sweet family. Meeting Teresa has inspired me in many ways to appreciate the time I have with my own husband and loved ones so much more.  I feel both honored and privileged to be able to tell their story from behind my camera. I hope that she, as well as her boys, will cherish these photos for many years to come!

To find about more about LCDR Dale Taylor, as well as the other members of the crew of CG 6535, you can visit the Honoring 6535 facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/Honoring6535. and http://blog.al.com/live/2012/04/loving_dale_taylor_a_coast_gua.html

Two weeks before Ella Claire was born, a routine ultrasound discovered that her head was enlarged because it had extra fluid. One doctor said he could not even see a formed brain on the ultrasound, and that Ella Claire would not live.  The doctors performed an emergency c-section.   Scans that followed showed that she did in fact have a formed brain but that she had suffered a severe stroke in the womb. The stroke affected the right side of her brain the most, which controls the left side of her body.

The biggest challenge for Ella Claire as a mid-brain-injured child was her mobility. As she grew from baby to toddler, her left leg became stiffer and her left hand and arm grew more rigid.  Also, by the age of two, Ella Claire didn’t talk, wasn’t very responsive,  and her vision was significantly affected as her brain had difficulty controlling her eyes.  She could only smile with the right side of her mouth. She had made little to no progress with traditional medication and therapy.  So, Ella Claire’s parents, Dean and Susan, decided to try another option for their daughter’s brain health and wellness.  And with it, came hope!  They found the Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential, based in Philadelphia.  The Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential is a nonprofit institution founded by Glenn Doman in 1955. The Institutes are internationally known for their pioneering work in child brain development and for their programs to help brain-injured children achieve wellness. The Institutes exist to insure that all brain-injured children have a fighting chance to be well.  Their goal is to help parents treat their children at home.

After two years of doing this home-based program with Ella Claire, she made incredible progress. By age four, she could crawl, talk, feed herself, read and do math, play melodies on the piano, and increasingly use her left side.  She was learning Spanish and many different subjects.  Geography was a favorite, and she had almost completed learning all 50 states and capitals. When she was six years old, Ella Claire took her first independent steps!  This was a much-awaited and much-celebrated milestone that many experts thought would never be possible after her grim prognosis at birth.  Dean and Susan were, and still are, constantly amazed at how Ella Claire persevered toward her goal of walking without ever giving up.  Underneath her very sweet and gentle demeanor is a determination of steel!

Ella Claire turns 11 next month. She is perfectly healthy. She is continuing with her home-based therapy and daily learning new things, as well as doing chores alongside her other four siblings. She is fluent in Spanish and is learning French, too. Her heart to love people completely overflows the moment you meet her.  She is the definition of a social butterfly!  Ella Claire has taught the entire family about perseverance,  encouraging others, unconditional love, and living with a joyful and thankful heart.  “She has given the most special gift to her siblings Hannah Grace, Gracie, DJ and Luke—and that is the gift of mercy, compassion and gentleness. They have learned so much from her!” says Susan.

Ella Claire has touched so many people’s lives. As a family friend, I have been touched by Ella Claire’s tender heart and genuine love.  I’ve been touched by watching Susan and Dean love their children well in the face of trial. I’ve been touched by the way Hannah Grace, Gracie, DJ and Luke love Ella Claire well and love each other well.  I, and so many others, have been touched by their HOPE. Hope in the face of fear.  Hope in the face of sadness. Hope in the face of seeming impossibilities.

I asked Susan what she’d want to say to families walking through what the Wilson’s walked through nearly 11 years ago and all this time in between. And she said, “The most important thing is hope! Parents in our situation don’t hear it much when they have a brain-injured child. So, have hope!  Look where Ella Claire started and look where she is today, and where she is going. We’re hopeful for Ella Claire.”

Dean’s and Susan’s life verse for Ella Claire is Matthew 21: 18-21;  indeed the Lord can move mountains. And a side note for those that know Ella Claire; she asked that this interview be translated into Spanish. 

Fotolanthropy is honored to share this story of SSG Travis Mills. On his third tour of duty in Afghanistan, SSG Mills was critically injured on April 10, 2012 by an IED (improvised explosive device) while on patrol. Due to the explosion, SSG Mills lost portions of both legs and both arms. He is only the fifth quadruple amputee from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to survive his injuries. Even though SSG Mills has endured this unimaginable tragedy, he fights daily to recover for his wife and one year old daughter and to live a fulfilled life. Travis is defying all odds by the progress he has made in under six months and continues to make.  His story has touched hearts across the globe, as well as ours at Fotolanthropy.

I will never forget the day that we learned of Travis’s story. I came across his photo in a facebook feed and saw a smiling, handsome soldier sitting amongst other soldiers, however, this image was incredibly impacting to me as I soon realized that this was a wounded soldier that in fact had lost both arms and legs. My heart broke and I remember not being able to sleep that night just worrying and saddened for this family. I knew that he had sacrificed so much protecting our country…my freedom…and I knew I wanted to help. I gave his family a call the next day to see if they would be willing to allow us to gift them with Fotolanthropy and we celebrated when they said yes! We were so excited to be able to gift them with a film, portraits, and to help share their story with everyone we could.  Our team flew to his home in North Carolina a week later and we experienced a few days with them I will never forget.

Our team arrived at the Mills home and Kelsey answered the door. Instantly my heart sunk, realizing that Travis could not just get up to come greet us at the door. Knowing Travis now, I bet he was the guy that would be the first one to the door, greeting anyone with a big smile and offering anything he could to make his guests feel right at home. We soon after got to meet Travis and we spent about an hour all getting to know each other. I look back at that time and am so grateful that in one hour we went from absolute strangers to friends. Travis was a riot, just cracking jokes as he is so well known for and Kelsey was so kind, warm, and caring towards her husband she is so proud of and her daughter that she adores. Watching them be a family is such an inspiration, knowing that they have gone through the most unimaginable dark time. Their little unit of three is so strong and I know that it’s because of the deep love of family they have held onto to get them where they are today.

During our time in North Carolina, we were able to film their story by interviewing both Kelsey and Travis. We were very honored that they were so authentic and raw on camera.  Kelsey and Travis both opened up to us about things they rarely speak about as it can bring back some painful memories. But during these interviews, they gave a gift to anyone who will watch the film of genuineness. There was not a dry eye in the house while Kelsey spoke about the day of the accident and the emotions she experienced, or when Travis bravely described his fears of what life was going to look like after the accident. Sitting in that living room with them and conducting this interview was incredibly emotional but it was in that moment, I knew in my heart we had to do something big for this family.  We needed to do something unlike anything we have done thus far at Fotolanthropy. My prayer and hope was that this tragic pain would be used for good and that it could continue to inspire lives as it already has.

We had a great time getting to give the Mills family a portrait session as well! Kelsey had shared with me that they had not taken portraits in years, which always makes me that much more grateful to be helping give the gift of memories. We selected a gorgeous wooded area by a lake for the portrait session. I wanted this to be fun for them and to have the images portray the love and emotion between this family. Travis was proud to be able to stand on his prosthetics with his wife and daughter during the session.  We selected a location by the lake that was somewhat level in order to keep it easy for Travis to walk on. During the session, I captured one of my favorite images of Chloe joyfully waiving an American flag while sitting in front of Travis standing on his prosthetics legs.  I keep this image on my desk to remind myself each day of the sacrifices our soldiers make to protect our freedom. Please enjoy the images below and slideshow.

There is so much to say about this family and I have so many feelings that I have a hard time putting into words, but one thing we know is that Fotolanthropy is going to do everything we can to capture this inspiring true story. Our heart is to make this story so well known and to honor the bravery, perseverance, and inspiration of the Mills family. You may have seen that we placed the trailer of Travis: A Soldier’s Story on Kickstarter. We chose to do this so that we could

raise enough funds to take the film to the next level without taking away from the funds we have for our current fotolanthropy families. Because of the heroes that gave to this project and to the ones who are continuing to give, we have the funds to make this short documentary film the best for Travis! To see the trailer of Travis: A Soldier’s Story on Kickstarter, please visit: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/fotolanthropy/travis-a-soldiers-story. Thank you for your support in helping Fotolanthropy create this inspiring documentary film! We are so grateful!

Please stay tuned as there is so much to share about our experience with the Mills family and the filming to come! Travis and Kelsey, I just wanted to thank you for your friendship and for so bravely sharing your story with us. To all of those supporters of Travis, it has been an honor getting to know so many of you.  Those of you who have also seen a picture of Travis or heard his story and have chosen to rise up and help this wounded solider, it has been a pleasure building a friendship with you and rallying together behind Travis and his family. Looking forward to celebrating each milestone, sharing this story, and cheering on the Mills family every step of the way! – Katie Norris

Please enjoy the portraits taken by Katie Norris of Travis with his wife Kelsey and daughter Chloe. The film will be premiered in April of 2013.

Go Team Travis!

Below: Here is a little impromptu thank you from Producer, Katie Norris