Words cannot express the joy, accomplishment, and honor it is to see Children with Cancer: A Guide for Parents be published by the National Cancer Institute today during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. There are many good things I set out to do as a photographer. I believe my photography is a God-given gift that should be placed into His service and in the service of others. Most of the time, I think I do put my talents to good use, but it’s not always clear.
This time it was crystal clear.
This has been one of the greatest and helpful projects I have ever had the humble honor of being a part of. And I’m grateful that the National Cancer Institute, my colleagues, the doctors and medical staff, the families, and especially the kids trusted me to record their lives in an effort to advance pediatric oncology. I was amazed at the openness of these little patients to help others even if they couldn’t be helped — and knew it.
Childhood cancer is devastating because it is not only very rare, but also affecting some of the most vulnerable people in our lives: children. One cannot help but feel a great sense of injustice. It’s unfair in it’s plainest definition. It’s not just hard on the kids, but on their parents and families too as they struggle against a disease that in some cases is like a roller coaster and in others, a cold decline into silence.
It’s hard on the doctors, nurses, and staff too. I’ve seen it. The kind lines in their faces and photos of children they’ve saved and lost. They live in a world of simultaneous success and failure with a drive to hopefully get one step closer to understanding this challenge and beating it. They share — and bear — the hopes of the families they help. Researchers, clinicians, and patient-families at the National Cancer Institute are typically at the edge of pediatric cancer research and treatment. The families there might be part of studies or are there because other places have fallen short. In many ways, they’re on the edge of a knife because that’s how childhood cancer can be.
The gravity of this project and deep drive to “get it right” was paramount. We would be having real families, real patients, and real staff be part of a legacy of information that will hopefully give other families some guidance and some comfort through the trial. These kids, some as young as 5, knew exactly what this meant and wanted to help despite their crushed dreams, even from their death beds (literally).
Some of the children on the cover that I photographed, didn’t make it. And in those cases, they’re the last photos their parents have of them. Although I know I’ve been part of something awesome, it’s still pretty heavy to know what I know. Looking into a child’s eyes who knows they’re dying but still wants to help in such a mature way is something I’m still trying to understand.
So, in their honor, I encourage you to pass this document on to anyone you know has discovered that their child has been diagnosed with cancer.