05/15/2023
Story Time
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My inbox dings - new message. *Click*. “Hey! My name is Shelia, I’m turning 61 on Monday and would love for you to do my birthday photos.” I respond with something like “Would love to set up a phone call, and learn more about what you’re looking for.” A couple days later I’m on the phone with Shelia who is telling me that she’d love to shoot her session on Sunday because her birthday is Monday and she leaves to compete at Worlds on Thursday. Wait- what? Yes, she leave to compete for the United States at the World Transplant Games in Australia on Thursday. What event? Discus.
Fast forward. Day of shoot. During shoot. I’m able to have long moments of conversation with Shelia. She tells me about needing Kidneys. She tells me about dialysis and the many hours she spent strapped to a tube. She tells me about how she thought she was going to die. But then she tells me about God. About changing her object of her hope. About living while she could. “I look back and I don’t know how I made it through that time.” Finally, life saving kidneys would come and Shelia would go on to continue her journey just with a new vigor for health. “Don’t forget your health, I tell all you young people, don’t give up your health for anybody.” We spent time photographing her scars. Especially her most meaningful one, the one from years of dialysis. These scars are proof of her inability to quit. They are proof of Gods goodness and provision. They are proof of the fragility of mortality. And a reminder to boldly embrace that mortality and Live.
Shelia ended up taking 3rd place for USA in discus. Just a 61 year old really livin.