When I first read about the Gold Hope Project (TGHP) in Oprah magazine, I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of. This network of professional photographers volunteers their time and talents to gift pediatric cancer patients and their families with portrait sessions at any stage in their fight with cancer. Sometimes, we hear of stories where the TGHP session images are the first or last photographs a family has of their little fighter – a gift that becomes even more meaningful. Volunteering with TGHP certainly was a good fit professionally, as I love children and love to photograph them. But it is also a good fit personally; when I was six years old my family lost our mother and wife to breast cancer. We’ve since lost numbers of other family members to cancer, as so many of us have; so this mission and service has a personal motivation as well.

I was contacted about this little 2 year old fighter last summer and was delighted to know I could share myself with this family. We waited until Soren was discharged from the hospital to schedule the session – and we were blessed with a gorgeous, overcast (a photographer’s dream!), 60 degree day in early December. Soren was like many toddlers that I love so much – clear on where he wanted to go, always moving, and SO excited to be outside. He took us on a tour of Duke Hospital and it’s beautiful outside spaces, that he and his mom are all too familiar with, and we captured some magical moments.

Some of my favorites from our session are below. You can read more about Soren, his fight with cancer, & his story on the TGHP BLOG.

I want to thank all of our First 28 Photography clients from the bottom of my heart for joining me in this effort. The support and growth that we see as our client families grow contributes to the opportunity for me to gift my time, portraits, and photographs to families like Soren, something I hope we can all feel extra joy about!

XX,

Kristin