08/12/2026
💛 WHY THESE MINIS MATTER. 💛
I want to tell you about Christina.
I was 10 years old, a little fifth grader, when a sassy middle schooler was introduced to my family by a mutual family friend. And let’s be honest, at 10 years old, the difference between elementary school and middle school felt HUGE.
Little did I know that this sassy, spunky girl would quickly become one of the most important people in my life.
She became my go-to for middle school advice. She reminded me of my worth when boys were mean. She took me on adventures. She made me laugh until my stomach hurt. She was there for some of my favorite memories and some of the hardest moments of my life.
And somehow, through all of the growing up, changing, and different seasons of life, she remained my person. My soul sister. My forever friend.
In July of 2020, Christina was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma, a rare childhood cancer that is most commonly diagnosed in children age four and under.
Christina was 23. I share that because I want you to understand just how much the word rare can change a family's world. My own family knows what it feels like to navigate the unknown of a medical rarity, so I understood in a very personal way the uncertainty Christina and her family were facing. The questions. The searching for answers. The wondering if you're doing enough. The wishing you could find someone who had walked this exact road before you.
And yet, Christina was still Christina.
Fierce. Honest. Spunky. Full of life.
Even while fighting for her own health, she cared deeply about children and families facing childhood cancer. One of the very last conversations we had was about the two of us working together on a Childhood Cancer Awareness fundraiser. And we completed that social media campaign together.
So these minis are my way of continuing where we left off. 💛
And this is why I hope you book one:
* Yes, you'll leave with beautiful photographs.
* Yes, we'll spend an evening surrounded by sunflowers at Bold Spring Blooms.
* Yes, you'll have images of your people to hold onto for years to come.
But your session is also doing something else, something so much greater than beautiful images. Every $100 session fee will be donated directly to the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta in Christina's honor. Every tip will be donated, too.
Your family photos can help another family.
Your session can help provide care, resources, and support to children who are fighting a battle they never should have had to face.
Your photographs can carry a little bit of weight for someone else.
And that is the kind of photography I believe in. Because photographs are not just pretty pictures. They are pieces of people. They are reminders of who we loved, where we were, what we were celebrating, and what mattered to us.
I know that because I have photographs of Christina.
Photographs of us being young and carefree. Photoshoots in my parents' front yard. All of our adventures documented. The photographs show how she LIVED.
That is why this means so much to me.
So if you've been thinking about booking, I hope you do. Not because you need another set of family photos. Not because you have to have the perfect outfits or perfectly behaved kids. But because you can make memories with your people, walk away with photographs you'll treasure, and know that your session fee is helping a child and family fighting childhood cancer.
That's a pretty beautiful reason to take pictures. 💛
And if you can't book a session, you can still help.
* Share this post
* Tell a friend
* Learn about childhood cancer.
* Keep children and families fighting cancer in your prayers. Send some good into the world.
There are so many ways to carry a little weight, this is mine.
Book your session here:https://thoughtfully-thurston-photography.studio.cloudspot.io/booking/v/be_3RwzmCjDJ6RPzaeCsGozErYKgbTj
A huge thank you to Kalie Blevins of Bold Spring Blooms for opening her beautiful flower farm to us and planting extra sunflowers in honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
