Around this time last year Maria hired me to take her graduation photos. She was referred to me by her sister and a few others I went to school with so I was gracious for the opportunity. I really enjoyed this photo session and during it she let me in why this was very important (graduating) and what the session meant to her. In 2007, she was diagnosed with stage 2 cutaneous t-cell lymphoma. Despite the diagnosis, she continued pursuing her degree and eventually graduated last December. You can read more about her story here and her plans to create a non-profit organization to support others who are in their 20s as they wage their own battles against cancer.
In Feb. 2011 I had a cancer scare where they sent me to many doctors to see if I might have lymphoma. That two-week period was one of the longest, stressful, and toughest things I’ve ever gone through. It’s hard for me to fathom continuing school while actually having cancer, so I really admire Maria’s strength and perseverance to continue pursuing her degree.
She battled cancer and college at the same time and won at both.
Photos taken on 10-25-13.
