I met Ethan and his family through The Littlest Hero Project.  Ethan’s first hospital visit was when he was just 6 weeks old and had pneumonia.  He’s fought bronchitis, upper respiratory infections and neutropenia.  Doctors even went so far as to suggest that Ethan may have had the beginnings of Leukemia.  After many hospital visits (8 visits since he turned one), doctors determined that Ethan aspirates any liquid that is not a milkshake consistency.   I can only imagine the relief his mommy and daddy felt with the diagnosis.

Ethan has also been diagnosed with Down Syndrome.  When I do a Littlest Hero session, I ask parents to complete forms on behalf of their children.  Ethan’s Mom answered one question by saying, “Down Syndrome does not make me who I am.”  After spending a bit of time with Ethan, I recognized that her answer could not be more perfectly stated.  Ethan is a typical two-year-old boy who loves hot wheels, loves his mama and looks for mischief. 

At his session, Ethan was not feeling 100%.  He was coming down with a cold and really was not feeling his very best.  While I was able to snap a few keepers at the session, I will see Ethan again at the end of July!  

Ahhhh, Hadley.  She is going to be a heartbreaker with her stunning eyes and gorgeous grin.  Hadley and her family came to me through The Littlest Heroes Project.  Hadley is a goofy two year old who suffers from a rare liver disorder called Biliary Atresia.  At her most recent doctor visit, her levels were on target!  WOO HOO!   

We met up in downtown Plymouth on Saturday evening to capture some fun moments.  The Schoenborn family is laid back (mom even sat on the ground in her white skirt!), fun (the kids cooled down with some ice cream in their fancy clothes!) and always smiling.  I’ve been communicating with Hadley’s mom since February and I knew I would fall in love with their family when I met them in person.  I really enjoyed this session - so much so, that I’m going to do a slideshow with all the images from the session - so check back for that one. 

Thank you Schoenborn Family!!!  It was a pleasure.

Brendan and Maisa came to me through the Littlest Heroes Project and it was a great pleasure to meet them both.  You’d never know these two adorable kiddos are suffering inside - they are both so smart, so sweet, so outgoing and so brave.  It was a joy to meet this duo.  Enjoy your sneak peek!

p.s.  Happy Birthday Maisa - I hope your fifth birthday is a blast! 

Ahhh, Daniel.  Look at his beautiful brown eyes, his infectious smile, his little piggies!  I knew I would have fun with Daniel when he greeted me with the most amazing grin as I walked in the door.  I was paired up with the Spranger clan through the Littlest Heroes Project.  Daniel’s family is absolutely amazing and they were so FUN to hang out with.  A goofy, down-to-earth family who love each other immensely.  I’m thinking about inviting myself to their house on my crabby days as I know they could turn my mood around!

To learn more about Daniel, his progress and the obstacles he overcomes, or to make donations to Daniel, please visit: http://www.danieljohnmaxwellspranger.blogspot.com/.  FYI, his rockstar parents make these super adorable felt crowns to help out with medical bills.  Check them out on Daniel’s blog!  A great idea for kids’ birthdays or just to show your little one how special they are.

Thank you, Spranger Family, for inviting me to your home.  It was a pleasure.  Here’s your Sneak Peak!

I am excited to announce that my application to participate in the Littlest Heroes Project was recently approved.  The Littlest Heroes Project, started in January of 2008, is a non-profit organization of professional photographers nationwide who provide free photo sessions to our Littlest Heroes - children who are suffering from a serious illness or life altering disability.  The Littlest Heroes Project is an effort to open the eyes of the world to a part of it that so many ignore or pretend (or maybe do not even realize!) exists.  It is my hope that I can record precious moments for families - moments that can be cherished for years to come.

I am honored to be a part of this organization and plan to put forth my greatest effort to this cause.  For more information, please visit: www.littlestheroesproject.org