from the heart - Congenital Heart Defects Awareness Week 2011

As you know, I love photography. I love the challenge of capturing the essence of a person - their spirit, their joy, their laughter and their heart - so that it can be appreciated and enjoyed forever! This is why I took up photography in the first place, but since starting to do photography professionally, I have realized another aspect of photography that lights me up and inspires my soul: connecting with the people I photograph. Some of my clients are dear friends, some are old friends, and some are friends I have never met...but something sweet happens the second I start to photograph them...instantly I become emotionally attached to them. Not in a weirdo stalker co-dependent kind of way, but in a way that makes me appreciate who they are, they way they interact with each other and the beauty I see inside of them. And with each image I edit, the connection to them grows stronger and I feel delighted to be a part of their lives, until, by the end of editing, I can't help but consider them dear friends. I get excited when I hear of their accomplishments on facebook and cry when I read of their sorrows on their blog. What a wonderful discovery it has been to feel this connection to each of you, my clients and friends, from the simple act of taking your pictures. 

So to all of you, thank you for sharing your life with me!

And while that isn't what this post is about, I thought it was important for you to understand why I feel so inspired to share with you a cause that is near and dear to some sweet friends (and clients) of mine.

Today marks the beginning of Congenital Heart Defects Awareness Week 2011. Congenital Heart Defects (CHD) affect 1 in 100 babies and kill more children than all forms of childhood cancer combined. And, while that breaks my heart, the good news is that awareness helps! Early detection improves outcomes and there are things you can do during pregnancy and signs you can watch for after your child is born to catch CHD early. While I am certainly not an expert on heart defects and can't tell you much more than that about CHD, I have had the privilege of knowing a sweet little boy who was born with CHD and I would like to share it with you. 

Almost exactly one year ago as my photography dream was developing into a reality, I was looking for models to practice on and test the waters in various types of photography to find my style and my niche. One of my dear friends had just welcomed his first child to this world...a sweet baby boy...and I asked if he and his wife would be willing to let me photograph their bundle of joy. They were so gracious and excited but told me that Conner was still in the hospital and they would let me know as soon as he was home. They thought it would be very soon, but quickly learned that Conner was born with a congenital heart defect...it was heartbreaking to me as I read their blog posts and facebook statuses telling of more time in the hospital and more complications and ultimately the need for open heart surgery. But through it all my friends were amazing...positive and hopeful and filled with faith that things would be ok...you can (and should) 

read their inspiring journey in much more detail here on their blog.

Fast forward from February to May and finally Conner was home for a short period of time before his heart surgery and we were able to schedule his newborn photos. It was intimidating to work with such a fragile little one who had been through so much and I was nervous about messing up his feeding tube, but as I started taking pictures of Conner and his sweet mom and dad, all of that vanished and my heart was full.

Full of appreciation and joy and respect for this family who had endured so much!

Full of happiness that I could be a part of this celebration of Conner's life.

Full of admiration for his wonderful parents who were so caring and loving

and showered Conner and each other with love!

And, though the road ahead is still a challenging one as CHD will be a part of their lives forever, 

Conner made it through his heart surgery, recovered quickly and is back home and thriving!

(even though he wasn't super thrilled about taking pictures at our Valentine's Photobooth session)

Sadly, Conner's family has also encountered many along the way who have not survived.

So today, I ask you to take a minute to find out more about CHD.

You could read this post from a mother who lost her little one to CHD after her short 5 days on earth.

Or read more about what CHD is here. 

Or become a fan of 1 in 100 on facebook.

And if you want to DO something to help, you can donate to Intermountain Healing Hearts.org. They are local here in Utah and provide hospital bags to families staying at the hospital while their little one recovers from heart surgery. Conner's mom said that theirs was filled with goodies, snacks, toiletries, notepads, a gift card to the hospital cafeteria and other things they might need while they were there. :)

Or you could donate to The Children's Heart Foundation to support research about CHD that will save lives.

BUT, no matter what you do, please go and squeeze your little ones and all the people you love!

Tell them that you love them and how thankful you are that they are a part of your life. 

I know that I will!

And, finally, if someone you know is fighting a terminal illness, 

smileabunch photography would be honored to donate a photo session

to capture their sweet and precious time spent on this earth. 

Please contact me for details 801-413-3622.