Livin' the Dream - a Flashes of Hope story

I have had the pleasure to meet and get to know a brave little five year old, Justin Miller, who has neuroblastoma and is fighting it like a superhero! I have photographed his family, twice, through two different programs....first a year ago at Denver Children's Hospital through Flashes of Hope, and now this winter through a local Breckenridge Program, Domus Pacis. Flashes of Hope is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing powerful, uplifting portraits of children fighting cancer and other life threatening illnesses. They have 30 branches around the country and rely on volunteer professional photographers.

Justin has certainly captured my heart, and I figure I was meant to join his support team. There is a benefit for him in Denver on Sunday April 26th, and this Channel 9 News story from yesterday gives the details. (click on the video link in the top right corner)





The fundraiser is this Sunday from 2 to 9 pm at Clement Park and is being organized as a senior project for Michael Spitzlberger of Bear Creek High School - another Coloradan who has met Justin and couldn't HELP but join his support team!

Justin is such a beautiful little spirit - you can see it just lookinig in his eyes! He tells his mom that he's "Livin' the dream." Learning to ski this year, meeting some of his favorite Avalanche players - his photo is even on the home page of the Colorado Avalanche website! If you click on the Children's Hospital link you'll see more of him!

He has spent several weeks in New York City this spring getting experimental cancer treatments and one of my favorite stories is that he had a night that he couldn't be near his family because his body was "radioactive"....so Justin had to stay in his own "isolation room" and his mom was next door, checking on him regularly. Here's what she said about it:

Justin LOVED the isolation room!!!! He spent most of the night jumping from bed to bed and listening to music and watching TV. Anytime I went to check on him, he told me to shut the door because he is in isolation!!! WOW!!!!

You can read all about Justin on his CaringBridge website or check out this SLIDESHOW of his family in Breckenridge!

Domus Pacis - a wonderful Breckenridge non-profit!

I have had the pleasure of working with a local non-profit in 2008, called Domus Pacis (latin for House of Peace). The Domus Pacis Family Respite offers families suffering from cancer and other life threatening illnesses an opportunity to spend a week in the mountains and have fun with no cost to them! Most families facing this type of illness, have spent most of their money on medical costs and can't afford a carefree week or weekend in the mountains! So Domus Pacis helps them ENJOY their time with their loved ones!

You can read more about them in either of these newspaper articles:

Summit Daily News June 2008

Summit Daily News Article December 2008


In 2008, Domus Pacis helped 8 families come to the mountains and enjoy a week of rest and relaxation and their goal for 2009 is to help 30 additional families. Please help them accomplish this goal!

If you have any services or time to donate, please call Duck White-Petteruti at 970-547-4745. And check them out online at www.domuspacis.org. Some areas of need are:

Housing

One of the challenges of the organization is to have the right size house at the right time for the patient and their family, which requires us to have a wide variety of potential accommodations. If you have a property that you could donate for the organization's use during non-peak weeks, we would be so grateful for your assignment of the week(s) to the Domus Pacis Family Respite.

In Kind Donations

- Restaurant Certificates/Discounts
- Gift certificates to Grocery stores
- Snowmobile tours, Tubing, Ski lessons/rentals/lift tickets
- Kids Activities Certificates/Discounts
- Spa Services (nail care, massage, etc.)
- Horseback Riding, Boat Rides
- Historical Tours
- Treats (sweets, fruit, snacks, etc.)
- Board games
- Welcome Baskets

New Years Thoughts about Photography.

As the New Year approaches, I think about what worked well and what didn't work so well in the last calendar year. Since I've read The Secret in 2008, I won't concentrate on what didn't work but will spend lots of positive energy on what I want to attract in 2009! Below I have some thoughts and photos of what I would like to do more of in the coming year....

More Yoga!
I have finally found yoga and love what it does for me, mind, body & spirit. Last year I decided to be more mindful in 2008 and I was! I've learned a lot about the yoga sutras and realize how great yoga is for me!

More Yoga Photos!
I had the opportunity to photograph some beautiful fall images of two local yoga instructors and absolutely loved the process! I am amazed by their talent & the way these images make me feel!


More Newborn Photos!
I LOVE photographing newborns! They are so precious! I am taking a workshop from Sandy Puc of Expressions Photography in February and look forward to more and more of these sessions that ALWAYS make me cry!


Getting Published More Often
In 2008 I had a first, getting wedding images published in a local resort magazine, Winter Park Magazine. I also had several images in the Capture My Colorado book & DVD that came out in November. I will have more of my photos published in 2009!

Photograph Weddings at my favorite Colorado wedding venues
I have a couple favorite places that I like to go myself to relax and unwind and I think they are BEAUTIFUL locations to hold weddings. My number one choice is Gold Lake Resort outside Ward, Colorado. I WILL photograph a wedding there in 2009.



The next on my list is Mt Princeton Hot Springs outside Buena Vista. I don't have a photo of my own from there - but that will change in 2009!

Giving my talents to worthy non-profit causes.....
I already do quite a lot of non-profit work, but there are a couple of worthy causes that really capture my heartstrings and use my talent in a way that really means the world to me.

Flashes of Hope - this is an amazing non-profit that works in 27 or 28 cities around the country, coordinating volunteer photographers to capture beautiful little faces of kiddos with life-threatening illnesses. At least once a year I head to Children's Hospital in Denver to do these shoots & it really is an amazing inspiring and absolutely beautiful experience! I would recommend it to all photographers!



Domus Pacis - Domus Pacis (latin for House of Peace) is a new non-profit in Summit County Colorado which offers free vacation rentals to families suffering with illnesses like cancer. During 2008 I had the opportunity to photograph 6 or 7 families that were visiting with this organization, and each are beautiful and inspiring and really help me to stay focused and stay in the moment!




Less stuff
This year I will make a smaller footprint on the earth! And that starts with one very small thing is that I bought quite a lot of new camera equipment in 2008 - some were gifts to me and some I pursued myself. I don't plan to buy any new equipment in 2009! Yippee! And I will follow the lead of other green photographers that I love.

Have a very Happy New Year and take lots of photos!
namaste!
- Kay