I always enjoy when people contact me about doing pictures for them. Whether it be for a wedding, birthday party, special event, newborn, anniversary, maternity or just family pictures everyone always has a special story that I learn about.
When Samantha Brooks and I first talked about a month ago about me photographing her birth I got very excited. Our conversation was going well until she told me this would be their fourth child and their last. Immediately I knew she was a better woman than I was. As we continued to talk she told me about Rachael who is their 5 year old daughter with special needs. We continued to talk that day and after our conversation I did not talk to her for about two weeks.
I'll have to admit I was facebook stalking her thinking maybe she changed her mind or she had already had the baby. When we talked last week she told me that she had still not had the baby and that she was scheduled to be induced on 10-17-11 at 7:30. I was all ready and knew that this birth would go extremely quick since this was number 4. I talked to Samantha on Thursday when she let me know that she was 3cm's dilated and 80% effaced. It kind of scared me when she told me that she was determined to still do maternity pictures. I honestly never thought that we would get to do them. I had the belly bow and everything ready and sitting next to the back door because I just had a feeling that I was going to get a call all weekend telling me that they were headed to the hospital.
Well it is 10-16-11 and Baby Boy Brooks in still not wanting to come out. If the baby does not make his appearance before Friday she will be getting induced. As I got prepared to go to the park today David made sure he went with me to help since there was three kids I made sure that my first aid kit was in the back of my car stocked. As a Paramedic I guess we are always on edge for what could happen. I was scared for Samantha to sneeze or cough the whole time I was with her. I just did not think that Hagen Stone Park was the place for Baby Brooks to enter into the world.
With all of that being said we got through the pictures with no problem. Every family has a special story and theirs is with their daughter Rachael. She is a cutie pie and goes about 100mph. I don't know how they keep up with her. Rachel has DiGeorge Syndrome. Samantha had told me a little bit about the disease but until I experienced Rachael today I never really thought of looking it up. After getting their pictures edited I had to look up the disease. I guess that is just the Paramedic in me. I have had the privilege this weekend to walk with Carter in the Buddy Walk for Down Syndrome and meet Rachael today with DiGeorge Syndrome. These little children are gifts from God and I feel honored to get to learn so much from something that I love.....photography. Thank you God for placing this special gifts on earth for everyone to enjoy.
For all of you that don't know what DiGeorge Syndrome is I thought I would share a little with you so you don't have to google it.
The DiGeorge Syndrome is a primary immunodeficiency disease which is caused by abnormal migration and development of certain cells and tissues during growth and differentiation of the fetus. Different tissues and organs often arise from a single group of embryonic cells. Although the tissues and organs that ultimately develop from a single group of embryonic cells may appear to be unrelated in the fully formed child, they are related in that they have developed from the same embryonic or fetal tissues. Although many different organs may be involved in the DiGeorge Syndrome, they all evolve from the same embryonic cells.
Most, but not all patients with the DiGeorge Syndrome have a small deletion in a specific part of chromosome number 22 at position 22q11.2. Another name for this syndrome is the chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. Patients with the DiGeorge Syndrome do not all show the same organ involvement. A given organ may be uninvolved, or so mildly involved that the organ appears to be normal. Thus, patients with the DiGeorge Syndrome may not all have the same organs involved or the same severity.
Rachael, Levi and Lily
Lily, Levi and Rachael
Thanks for letting me share in the special part of your growing family with you!
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