The Experience
I first heard about the Littlest Heroes Project about 4 months ago through the blog of Jessica Pruitt, I met her through an email support group for Rubinstein-Taybi Syndrome (RTS) families. Almost immediately I knew that this was something we had to do! Going to a portrait studio has always been a very stressful thing for us. I remember going once and the photographer told me to bring Frankie back after his nap, little did she know he had just woke up!!
Our Photographer was Megan Hamilton, Megan was wonderful!! We had the choice of location, of course we chose our home because Frankie would be more comfortable. The entire session was very laid back, we did a few pictures where we posed but the majority were just taken when we were doing our normal thing. They turned out wonderful, absolutely beautiful and perfect!! Megan was very caring and extremely patient with us, it was an entirely stress free session!
My son is definitely a Little Hero! He has been through so much in the past 21 months, from very frequent Dr. appointments to surgeries, procedures, test and therapies. Throughout everything he still has a smile on his face, he is a trooper! The strength that he has shown and everything that he has endured has made us all stronger – just to have known him!
I think its very important to share our stories. First so the photographers can know how much of an impact they are making in peoples lives! Pictures, they are definitely worth a thousand words! For us, it had been well over a year since our last family photo and we had no plans to get one anytime soon. Just the thought stressed me out!!
Also, for the families to know that they are not alone and for those trying to figure out if the Littlest Heroes Project is for them – it definitely is!
Our lives were touched through the Littlest Heroes Project, having someone care so much about us to give their time to photograph our family and to enjoy themselves while doing it, a Priceless experience!!
A big thank you to all the wonderful folks at the Littlest Heroes Project and Megan thank you so much for spending time with us and taking some Awesome photos!!
Gena Hudson
http://lifeandtimesofthehudsonfamily.blogspot.com/
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I heard about Littlest Heroes project in the early spring of 2008 through Flickr and Felicia (the founder). I became very intrigued by the concept of photographers reaching out to children and families through our cameras. I remember the first application I received was a young teenager in Lima, OH “Lissy”. She is dealing with several rare diseases affecting her digestive and skeletal system. The client was more than 80 miles away and my wife and I couldn’t wait to meet our new Littlest Hero. At first I was a bit nervous as I knew her condition did not allow her to spend a lot time walking around and being outside without her feeling a great deal of pain. When we arrived. All those anxieties and fears were gone. Alissa was just a beautiful, normal teenager who quietly was dealing with more medical conditions than most people could handle. We immediately became close friends with Alissa and her family. Alissa and her mother Linda made the 80 mile drive to our wedding in November. Over the course of the last 6-8 months I have had the privilege to be on 4 assignment shoots for Littlest Heroes Project and one word speaks loud and clear to me, resilience. The children we have met are all dealing with very difficult and some terminal medical issues. They range in age from 11 months to 20 years old and they are all amazing children. Not because of their condition but because of their actions. They have all found away to live above the condition and to lead as happy and normal of a life as possible. It is incredibly inspiring. For me as a photographer and father of four boys it humbles me and and makes ever so thankful for the incredible family I have and how easy we have it as parents who are not in constant concern. I am very privileged to be a part of such a wonderful organization and look forward to continuing to raise awareness of our Little Heroes in hopes that these stories we share may influence others to help these families with medical, financial or spiritual assistance.
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We first heard about the Littlest Here’s Project when Felica requested us as a friend on myspace, I was so impressed and inspired by Felica both as a photographer and as a great person that there was no way I didn’t want to be a part of this great organization she’s created.
After reading what Littlest Heroes Project was all about and seeing some of the photos of the first heroes it was definitely something we wanted to be involved in, I always thought I would love to give back somehow and I think myself like a lot of others wasn’t really sure how to use my talents to do that, this was the perfect opportunity and we were very excited to be able to be a part of it.
We have now shot photographs for 4 little heroes, it’s very special to get to meet such brave kids and their families, it really puts life in prospective and makes you realize what’s important.
As a photographer, I believe it’s important to capture life’s big moments although some may be tougher than others, I think that the Littlest Heroes Project is a great way to help make people aware of these amazing children and their families and inspire people to give back in their communities and have compassion for the challenges and hardships that someone in their area may be facing.
We are looking forward to meeting many more heroes and documenting their journey’s.
Chaz & Adrienne Pradith
Studio Design Company
www.studiodesignco.com
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I first heard about the Littlest Heroes Project last year, on mypace. I thought it had great potential and I was excited about the possibilities it had for the future. Since then it has grown into an awesome organization, and I am very honored to be a part of it. I have had the priveledge of photographing some wonderful kids, and I have formed some close relationships with the families along the way. As a mother of 2 young children myself, I have found that this project has taught me to appreciate the little things in every day life with them. A smile, a hug, or even an occasional tantrum. I feel very blessed. These kids really deserve special treatment. They always seem to have a smile on their face no matter what they have gone through. As adults, we let our worries and inhibitions take over and sometimes we aren’t able to enjoy life as it should be enjoyed. I wish I could see the world through a child’s eyes- they take pride in every simple moment. Whether it be a bug on the ground, or a hug from grandma, they don’t take much for granted. I think we can learn a lot from them.
My best friend has a child with down’s syndrome and autism, and has also adopted a second child with both of these disabilities. She has therepists coming in and out of her home all day, every day. She constantly amazes me with her patience and ability to care for these children. She is truly an amazing person all around. I have seen her go through many tough times and I have a driven passion to help other families going through some of the same things. I have always wanted to be able to do something special with my photography, and I have found that something with the Littlest Heroes Project.
Tabitha Davis
www.photosbytabi.com
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Dear Littlest Heroes Project,
My daughter’s name is Julia Arnold, we were photographed by Steve Stanton in Colorado. The afternoon we spent with Steve was one of the best experiences of our lives. Steve treated us like we were his most valuable clients. From the moment he greeted us I knew we had been put together with an amazing person. Steve could not have done a single thing to make our experience any better – he was an angel to us. And his pictures are also amazing.
My husband Wes and I could feel so blessed to have been a part of this project and to now forever have these beautiful pictures of our precious daughter. Beyond that, this experience has encouraged our entire extended family and support system, everyone has been blessed by these pictures. I love the idea that hundreds and hundreds of people are seeing these pictures, not just of Julia, but of a special needs child. My hope is the pictures will have such an impact that they will see all special needs children for the beautiful gifts they are to the world.
I have nothing but thanks and admiration to give to you for this amazing project. Hardly anything in our experience has lived up to the hopes or expectations, but this experience actually did. I credit this to the work you all must do to make sure you find great photographers. Steve obviously has a heart for our kids, it showed. I could tell right away that he saw Julia’s beauty.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for this gift.
With gratitude,
Laurie Arnold
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The Littlest Heroes Project will forever be close to my heart. I’m not sure that I will ever be able to fully express my gratitude to LHP or Dana Goodson Photography. My daughter Breezy has Cystic Fibrosis a genetic disease that is manageable yet unpredictable. The average life expectance for a CF patient is only 37 years old. I hope that Breezy will live much longer but the thought of losing her at anytime is always looming in the back of my mind.
Dana Goodson has given my family a beautiful representation of Breezy, not only are the photographs stunning but Dana has managed to capture her spirit. Breezy is a unique, intelligent and most of all charming child and for that to show in a photograph is truly special. Dana has a huge heart and she is an amazing photographer with an exceptional eye for her art.
I believe The Littlest Heroes Project is doing wonderful things for families who have above average daily struggles. Care giving for your child who has an illness is a burden on a parent’s heart. Seeing a child suffer is a hard thing to deal with. The LHP is helping ease that burden even if only for an hour they are giving families and children a moment to stop and just appreciate life. And even better capture that moment forever.
Thank You So Much
Jessica ~ Breezy’s Momma
www.BreezysBravery.com
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After hearing about the Littlest Heroes Project from a few photographer friends I couldn’t imagine not getting involved. Each and every one of these children is special and unique, and deserves to be treated as such. They have been through more in their lives than most adults and still have great big smiles on their faces. These children have touched my heart and warmed my soul, I am honoured to be part of this project and am so happy to be able to give something back to these children and families.
Nicole Herdman
Bittersweet Photography
www.bittersweet-photography.com
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I first heard of the Littlest Heroes through The Friends of Early Childhood Intervention Yahoo group here in Maryland. Mateo, my four year old son is unable to attend a regular preschool due to the fact that he did not cognitively and verbally develop like his peers and the state’s Early Childhood Intervention program has been invaluable so far along with speech, physical and occupational therapy. Mateo is my heroe. With everything that our family has been through, he is constantly trying so hard to please his teachers and keep up with his friends.
I decided to check out the Littlest Heroes website and was deeply moved by all the pictures and stories. The Littlest Heroes is a one of a kind organization that allows families to be photographed, at no cost to the families. I decided to apply almost immediately not knowing that I would get an immediate response from the Littlest Heroes as well as from our photographer that we had chosen, out of a list of participating photographers. Our photographer, Jaime Windon from Blonde photography was wonderful with our son Mateo and she spent a few hours at our home getting to know him better as she captured all the precious moments of that day. Jaime is a beautiful person inside and out and we will forever be grateful for her kindness in donating her time and the photos from that day will be treasured forever. I am happy they were featured on the Littlest Heroes website. Mateo’s story as well as all the other children’s stories featured there are important. They provide a window into other people’s lives that we can relate to and perhaps feel comforted knowing that as parents we have all been down that road in one way or another. For our family this was an experience that we will always be grateful for and never forget. Thank you Littlest Heroes for making this world a better place, one child at a time.
Sincerely,
Pilar (Mateo’s mom)
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I came across the Littlest Heroes Project from another photographers blog and instantly felt a calling to participate. I spent 6 years of my life, prior to my daughter being born, working with children with special needs and their families. I served children birth to three years old with any type of special need. I have always felt that God has given me such a special gift for working with this population and it has been my hearts’ desire to serve these children and families in whatever way I can. As I launched into a photography business after my daughter was born, it was an entirely different gift that I uncovered but knew that somehow and some way God would use this newly found skill! When I came across the Littlest Heroes Project, I instantly knew that this was how I could combine these two unique talents for such a special purpose. When I finally got an application from a family to photograph their special son, I was overcome with excitement. To be able to bring joy to a family that spends the majority of their time battling daily struggles was so extremely special. I have only had one opportunity so far to participate with the program, but my experience was everything I thought it would be. I am so “at home” with these kiddos and love every minute of getting to help them uncover a smile, even if it’s just for an hour or so during a photo shoot. During my time with Asa, my favorite memory was when he started telling my knock-knock jokes. It just reminds me that these kids are kids first, that unfortunately have had to deal with challenges in their short lives that most adults will never see in their entire lifetime. The Littlest Heroes Project is such an incredible opportunity for photographers to help these families capture the special moments in their childrens’ lives; moments that don’t involve doctors, specialists, therapists, or medicine. I can’t wait to have the privilege of giving this true gift to another family!
Lindsey Turner
www.lindseyturnerphotography.com
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To the Littlest Heroes Project I must extend my heartfelt thanks and I haven’t even participated yet!
My son, Tyler, has a rare genetic disorder MPS III A or Sanfilippo Syndrome, it’s a lysosomal disorder like Tay-Sachs or Sandhoff…to say that only my son suffers would be doing a disserves to my entire family who struggles with seeing Tyler lose a little bit of his life everyday as we can only stand by and pick up the pieces.
I do my best to capture these moments good and bad, because in the end that’s all I will have left and this is the legacy I want to leave for other families who will come after us. I hope I can give them some type of understanding that can bridge the gap between the normal world and the their “new normal”. I blog on caringbridge my experience and have recently posted your link there. http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/tylerlangan
I have tried numerous times to capture Tyler in a photograph. I have spent too much money with photo places that are not tolerant of our “special child” and even purchasing my own equipment, but then we are never in the photo. We did have a beach portrait taken but I couldn’t afford to spend the 500 bucks to get the only photo that turned out to be acceptable. It’s not always about smiling at the camera (although that would be a super bonus!) but it’s about capturing his smile as he stares at the sky or sings to his favorite Elmo CD. It’s about the joy in his eyes when he blows into his pinwheel and makes it spin. This is why he is here - to remind us all how it’s the little things in life that makes us and happy and makes life worth sharing.
Best Regards,
Donna Kay Langan
Mom to Tyler, age 4
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My name is Britt Anderson, and I am so very proud to be a part of the Littlest Heroes Project. Someone was spreading the word about this great organization on a website for professional photographers. Being a first and second grade teacher as well as a photographer, I knew working with the Littlest Heroes Project would be a great way for me to connect my two loves, children and photography. I signed up and was quickly given my first assignment. She was a high school student, finishing up her senior year and was ready to head off to college. I remember being so nervous, just wanting to do a great job for this family. Afterwards, the thanks I was given for being able to do this for this family made me realize how important this project is. As I photograph my own daughter, documenting her every step, I know how important it is to have those memories. For the children of the Littlest Heroes Project, too much much time and money is spent on getting them better. They need something special for themselves. As a photographer, I am able to give them my full attention, make them feel special. After a fun session of photographing their beautiful smiles, they have photographs of those happy memories to last a lifetime. Sharing these families with others through this project is so very important to help us remember that these children are more than an illness. After photographing several families for this wonderful project and hearing the heartfelt thanks they express, I know that I will continue to do what I can to work with these families for a long time to come.
Britt Anderson
www.brittandersonphotography.com
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Want to share your experience with us? Send us an email and a photo to information@inspirationthroughart.org
