Preventative Double Mastectomy, Purpose and Passion….
(I have permission from my client to share her story)
What exactly is my purpose as a photographer? This has been a constant question in my head the past year!! I have gone through an intense period of overcoming impostor syndrome, finding my creative niche, and plunging head first into meaningful projects that will increase empathy, connection, awareness and hopefully change the world one session at a time.
After a tough year of personal challenges and battles I felt I was struggling to find the reason to keep my passion and talent alive and continue to do what I love so much.
I will always fight for what I believe in, and help other fight when they need it, but I didn’t know how to fight for myself. I decided it was time to have a little chat with myself, God and with the help of some amazing woman I met at a life changing photographer’s retreat a fire was lit deep inside that I didn’t know I had!!
This year, the fire is roaring. Even on the hard days, I have constant confirmation that I am exactly where I need to be and doing exactly what I’m supposed to be doing. This confirmation comes from crossing paths with some amazing Humans. This has ignited the creativity and passion to create even more than ever.
This leads me into this beautiful session with this Bad Ass Strong As Hell Woman!! I met Missy through her Mom who was my neighbor for a few short years. Missy lost her Mom after a very long and hard fight with breast cancer. Since then Missy moved away and thanks to the Facetube World I have been able to keep in touch with her and watch her be this amazing human and Mom just like her Mama.
I have also been following Missys amazing journey after discovering she has the gene for hereditary breast cancer. She has recently made the brave and strong decision to have a Preventative Double Mastectomy. Watching her share her journey of the process, the ups, the downs, the fears, the struggles and massive pain of the after math and now reconstruction has shown her true strength as a Woman.
Wanting to be here for her girls for a very long time and wanting to hopefully stick it to cancer has been an inspiration of how strong Woman really are and the depth we will go to make life changing decisions to make sure we are here for our loved ones is truly brave in my eyes. She knew it wasn’t going to be easy, she knew it was going to be hard, but as a Mom she knew she wanted to do this to be here for a very long time for her girls and knew this was the way to do it.
I had a dream about her one night and I knew she was the perfect person to showcase this session. She was the reason I love doing what I do. I wanted to give her something she would cherish after all that she had been through. Missy is so much like her mother was. A Ray of Sunshine. Shes constantly projecting beautiful energy into this world even going though a hard journey. Her strength is an inspiration to me and I wanted to share it with others in hopes that it might help someone who is dealing with this decision to know that they are not alone. That you have a tribe of woman in the world that support your decision to prevent such a horrible and unfair disease.
Never forget that you are braver and stronger than you think. If can do anything with my art its help make people feel beautiful even in some of the hardest most trying moments of their life when they might not feel it. That's what keeps this fire burning in me.
Thank you Missy for letting me capture you and your beautiful child during this journey. Praying for the final stages of this journey be less painful and full of joy and peace. God Bless you and your Family.
p.s. Your Mama would be soooo proud of you!!
Blessings + Good Health,
Jaime
www.jaimeanndesignsphotography.com
Maternity, Newborn, Children, Family Photographer
Kewaskum, WI
