{
Tyler Vanhoutte, age 15
"Keep the Light On" 3/20/13
Samantha (aka Sam) Vanhoutte, age 11
"Keep the Light On" 3/20/13
Cody Vanhoutte, age 13
"Keep the Light On" 3/20/13
Night Fishing
{All images on this post are the exclusive property of Jennifer Kaczmarek and are protected under the United States and International Copyright laws. The images may not be reproduced, copied, transmitted or manipulated without the written permission of Jennifer Kaczmarek. Use of any image as the basis for another photographic concept or illustration (digital, artist rendering or alike) is a violation of the United States and International Copyright laws. All images are copyrighted @2016 Jennifer Kaczmarek}
Tyler’s favorite thing to do is fish, especially at night. This is his big escape from all things.
Yesterday, Alison met with a neurosurgeon to discuss the next steps. She will be heading back to Shands hospital to have more extensive scans done to her spine to see if the number of tumors have increased in size and/or multiplied. She will also be meeting with another neurologist that specializes on the brain to discuss the problems that have arisen.
I am having a meeting tomorrow afternoon that I will follow up with you all in my next post. I will also tell you about some amazing people that have thus far extended their hand.
Please stay tuned and donate if you can! They really need help at this time with travel expenses back and forth to Jacksonville and an upcoming trip to Gainesville for Tyler’s treatment.
We are also raising funds for their rent and to help them get set up with an online home-based job. They truly need your help, please consider!
Keep The Lights On
{All images on this post are the exclusive property of Jennifer Kaczmarek and are protected under the United States and International Copyright laws. The images may not be reproduced, copied, transmitted or manipulated without the written permission of Jennifer Kaczmarek. Use of any image as the basis for another photographic concept or illustration (digital, artist rendering or alike) is a violation of the United States and International Copyright laws. All images are copyrighted @2016 Jennifer Kaczmarek}
Their story began like so many; life was good and living the quintessential American dream of a middle class family, but life took a sudden turn…
I want you to know that this could easily be my family or your family. “Over the course of the past couple of years, it has been one misfortune after the next,” they say. They have no idea how they have reached this point or why they are enduring layer after layer of such intolerable hardships. It is difficult to see and hear their deep felt thoughts and feelings. Even more so, it is hard to hear them say that there are days they just want to throw in the towel.
At age 39 the mother, Alison, discovered that there were several tumors growing on her spine, a tumor on her ovaries, and white matter change on her brain.
The father, Kendall, tries to keep it all together, but over a year ago he lost his job after having to care for his ailing wife. The effects of no income have resulted in the loss of their home and only car.
Alison is facing the risk of death or paralyzation in order to biopsy her tumors as the nerve roots are wrapped around these tumors to her spine, thus leaving her at this moment feeling very helpless and scared as the number of tumors continue to increase.
Alison and Kendall have three children; Tyler age 15, Cody who is 13, and Samantha who is 11.
Tyler was diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis at age 10, a condition that was genetically passed down from Alison. When Kendall lost his job and lost his insurance, Tyler could no longer continue being seen at Arnold Palmer Children’s hospital in Orlando, FL.
Now that the family is receiving Medicaid, the closest hospital to assist Tyler is Shands Hospital in Gainesville, FL. Tyler has not yet been able get to Shands because of the loss of transportation. It has now been over a year since Tyler has not been able to receive the 5 shots a week that he needs.
Before Alison became ill, she was someone who devoted so much of her time helping others. I told her, “This is a full circle moment.”
I am hoping this story connects with you, would you please be able to make even a small difference, their needs are immediate. They are in need of financial support and prayers.
Over the past couple of months I have been trying to connect the dots, and just last week an extraordinarily generous couple donated one of their vehicles. More to that story later.
The most pressing expenses that the family are presently facing include rent, car insurance, setting up Kendal with a home based job, and daily necessities for the children.
There is much to this story that will unveil through time. Please help us as we are Taking Focus with this extraordinary family.
All donations are tax deductible. Please consider a donation.
Share this with others. Thank you so much!
Sincerely,
Jennifer Kaczmarek
A Journey to Discover His Voice - Riley's Story
{All images on this post are the exclusive property of Jennifer Kaczmarek and are protected under the United States and International Copyright laws. The images may not be reproduced, copied, transmitted or manipulated without the written permission of Jennifer Kaczmarek. Use of any image as the basis for another photographic concept or illustration (digital, artist rendering or alike) is a violation of the United States and International Copyright laws. All images are copyrighted @2016 Jennifer Kaczmarek}
Riley Kuiper, Flagler Beach,FL. December 2011
Riley Kuiper is 8yrs old and autistic. Riley's mom is a friend of mine who I met through my journey with Love for Alyssa. She is a special person, we had not known each other before and she did not know Alyssa either. Jennifer even teaches at Flagler High School in Palm Coast, FL., at the same school that Alyssa's father teaches, though they did not really know one-another. Jennifer had learned through the local paper about Love for Alyssa and reached out to assist.
Besides being so generous, she also began helping with different fundraisers. I'm so thankfully to her for all she has done and grateful to have been able to meet someone as caring and giving as she.
I first met Riley last year when I took the above photograph. I asked Jennifer if she wouldn't mind me posting his photos and telling about him because I just think he is one of the coolest kids, but then I thought it would be much better to hear a little about him through her words. I'm glad I suggested that because I learned so much more about him and so much more about her. Now I've come to understand why this special person appeared out of nowhere to lend a helping hand.
I wanted to publish her story because my goal is always the hope that at least one person is being reached. I truly believe sharing her journey will connect with somebody. The road is not an easy one, but being proactive in a childs life that faces many challenges will make a world of difference for them in the years to come.
~JK
This image captures Riley's personality perfectly. He's always happy,and always ready to make you laugh. December 2012
A Child's Journey to Discover His Voice While Battling Developmental Delays and Autism--Riley's Story
(If any of you know anyone who has a child with autism or developmental delays, please feel free to pass on this story of my experience with my son. There are a lot of people out there who need help when their child doesn't seem to be making the progress of other children.)
My son Riley was born on a glorious morning in May in 2004. He was perfect, though I did have a rough labor and delivery. He was such a good baby. He ate and slept with regularity, though he did despise laying flat on his back. I remember spending many nights checking on him to make sure he didn’t roll completely onto his stomach. I swear he smiled the day he was born. He always made eye contact and loved peek-a-boo. I didn’t realize there was a problem until he was closer to two. He never had any major illnesses, but he just did not talk at all. He could make sounds like ga-ga and ba-ba, but he never assigned a sound to a person or object; for example, he could make the sound da-da, but he wouldn’t call his dad that. It was completely random. Most people told me, “Oh, he’s a boy. Boys talk late.” But I wanted to be sure. I told the pediatrician at the next visit that he wasn’t talking yet. I thank God to this day that he ordered a speech evaluation. He could have said the same thing as everyone else, and since my experience I’ve heard from many people whose pediatricians told them to wait--what a mistake that would have been. We went for a speech evaluation and found out that at two, Riley’s speech was equivalent to an eleven-month old. The therapist referred us to Early Steps, and it was there that we realized there could be a larger issue at hand. Riley went through another speech evaluation at Early Steps and he did certainly qualify for state-funded speech therapy. The child psychologist who evaluated him mentioned wanting to do a psychological evaluation once he was receiving therapy to rule out a pervasive developmental disorder because in addition to his lack of speech, Riley had other tell-tale signs like watching things spin for long periods of time, obsessively opening and closing doors, and turning the lights on and off. I didn’t even know what a pervasive developmental disorder was at that time though. My mother, who was there and who has always been a super-supportive mom and grandma, said, “Do you mean autism?” That’s when we learned about autism spectrum disorders. I didn’t even realize there was a spectrum. I have a cousin who is autistic and I thought that was the face of autism. Boy, have I learned a lot since then. There are many faces of autism. After Riley’s evaluation that day, I was completely distraught. I cried and cried. I went online and tried to find as much information as I could. As luck would have it, I logged into my county’s school forum and found a recent post about autism workshops that would be held at a local community college the very next day. I responded to the post begging for more information and received a reply within hours. That was when I first encountered Dr. Brian Abrams. He reassured me that this was in no way a “death sentence” for my son and encouraged me to attend the workshops. I jumped on it. My mom and I attended the next day and it was like a wave of calm settled over me. I got to meet Dr. Abrams, whose son has Asperger’s and who himself has autism, and I met Riley’s future speech therapist group there and learned about CARD, PECS, the GFCF diet, and more. I found hope for my son.
Riley Kuiper. December 2012
A couple of weeks later I met with an autism support group for the first time. Everyone was so wonderful with me. They gave me the support I needed to soldier on to help my son. Armed with all kinds of information, I got right to work. I scheduled an appointment with the speech therapist and also enrolled Riley into a daycare. Within weeks Riley was saying his first words. I credit his speech therapist with finding his voice and his classmates with guiding his behavior. Once he broke through the wall, the speech kept coming and coming. His speech therapist informed me that he made 15 months improvement over a period of 6 months. She no longer thought he needed speech, though she suggested he return in 6 months to be sure he was still improving. He stayed about the same and we’re due to go in again for another reevaluation. Eventually we re-enrolled with speech at school because he wasn’t improving. He needed to be taught how to speak. He was not able to pick it up naturally like other kids. I know this is somewhat controversial in special needs circles, but my ex-husband and I did not go for an autism diagnosis in those early years. It is now my biggest regret. Even though in my heart I knew I wanted to pursue a diagnosis, I didn’t fight for one because I didn’t feel I had the support of family, friends, colleagues, his therapists, and his doctors. The only people who thought I should pursue the diagnosis were my mom and the parents in the support group. And they were right. Everyone kept telling me he was doing so well and a label could cause his teachers and others to treat him differently. I do know that this is a risk. But as a parent I am his advocate for services he needs and I am also the one to inform others of his abilities, not just his disability. We decided to get the services he needed privately. This ended up being limited and a huge expense but it was worth the money to see our son improving everyday. With a diagnosis he would have been eligible for more services and it would have been covered by the state or by insurance. While I can’t change the past, I am able to help others advocate for their children. So if you’re a parent going through a similar situation right now, get an evaluation done. If there is a diagnosis of some kind, you will receive the services you need. Without a diagnosis you don’t have as many options.
Finally, once Riley entered first grade he was still making improvements but it was obvious that his social skills were lacking and he needed more accommodations in the classroom in addition to being pulled out for speech twice a week. His teacher encouraged us to have him tested, and this time everyone was onboard. We had evaluations done the summer after first grade and he was diagnosed with autism. This diagnosis opened up an array of services both at school and at our local Easter Seals. He now receives speech therapy and occupational therapy twice a week in school and more occupational therapy at Easter Seals after school twice a week. We will be starting social skills therapy using ABA with a behaviorist at Easter Seals in the coming months as well. And when it comes time to take the statewide standardized test this year, he will have multiple accommodations because of his diagnosis and IEP including testing in a less crowded setting, extra time, repeated directions, and task reminders. One day he may not need these accommodations and they can be removed, but in this era of high stakes testing it’s crucial for him to have them. Students who do not pass the FCAT get retained in their current grade. If Riley doesn’t pass, his teachers can put together a portfolio of his work showing that he is able to meet the standards so he can move on to fourth grade. This is all thanks to his diagnosis and his IEP.
For those of you who are now going through this ordeal, there is hope! Do all of the research you can, talk to as many people knowledgeable in this field as you can, and most importantly, continue working with your child even after the therapy sessions are over. Learn all you can from the therapists and mimic what you see them do with your child. A half hour twice a week by itself is helpful, but if you could double, triple, or quadruple that yourself, do it. It is well worth your time and energy.
Riley and Jennifer Kuiper. December 2011
Riley Kuiper. Flagler Beach. December 2011
Joseph Parthemore - Update
Joseph at Wolfson Children's Hospital (Image courtesy of the Parthemore family)
On Christmas Eve our Joseph Parthemore contracted pneumonia causing both of his lungs to collapse. He was transported to Wolfson Children's Hospital in Jacksonville, FL. Doctors discovered he developed respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a certain characteristic of pneumonia. Since arriving to Wolfson's he has been heavily sedated and on a respirator.
On December 27th, thankfully, an X-ray showed improvement in his left lung.
As of today, Joseph remains sedated with the breathing tube until the infection passes and he can once again breath on his own. This is a very difficult time for his family, as Joseph's dad, Dan Parthemore said, "He does not wake up, so I'm not sure if he knows I am there. "
The little guy has missed Christmas, and his 3rd birthday is this Friday, January the 4th. Please keep Joseph and his family in your thoughts and prayers.
(We are postponing our fundraising walk sponsored by Flagler Beach Montessori that was to be scheduled for the end of January until Joseph is better.)
To keep everyone informed of our progress, the latest update about our transition is that we will be launching our new website along with our organization's new name within the next three weeks, so please be on the lookout! Sorry for the wait.
2012 has been a very humbling and inspiring year with many accomplishments and we look forward to making many more in 2013!
A little note about Alyssa, in Fall of this year she joined a cheerleading squad for children with disabilities. Her stepmother, Amy Hagstrom says she just loves it.
Another note, I had mentioned a few months back that Love for Alyssa was among one of the 200 finalists up for one of the 50 prestigious spots for Critical Mass 2012. I am thrilled to say that Love for Alyssa made the 50! Here is a link to the 50 Critical Mass winners of 2012. http://www.photolucida.org/cm_winners.php
Also, please have a look at Love for Alyssa on Photo Philanthropy. This is a wonderful organization that helps photographers connect with other non profits and showcases the work photographers have done for different organizations. http://photophilanthropy.org/gallery-posts/love-for-alyssa-i-am-beautiful-in-every-way/(Please feel free to facebook like and share with others!)
Lastly, please have a look at fotovisura. This is a great outlet that supports photography; allowing photographers to share all sorts of different projects with the rest of the photo community. http://www.fotovisura.com/user/jennifer6/view/love-for-alyssa(Please feel free to facebook like and share with others!)
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Update on Joseph
{All images on this post are the exclusive property of Jennifer Kaczmarek and are protected under the United States and International Copyright laws. The images may not be reproduced, copied, transmitted or manipulated without the written permission of Jennifer Kaczmarek. Use of any image as the basis for another photographic concept or illustration (digital, artist rendering or alike) is a violation of the United States and International Copyright laws. All images are copyrighted @2016 Jennifer Kaczmarek}
Yesterday morning I was able to spend some quality time with Joseph. He was still asleep when I arrived, which gave me some time to catch up with his mom, Leslie. I haven't seen Joseph since our exhibit in May, and being that he is still so little I was wondering how he would take to me. At the moment his eyes had opened, I was hovering over his crib admiring him. Thankfully he looked up at me with those sweet eyes ,without worry as though no time had passed at all. He proceeded to communicate with me through sign language, showing me his little stuff animal puppy.
On August 28, 2012, Joseph had the trach in his throat removed. Leslie said it should take six months for the hole to completely close. This is another huge feat he has conquered. I still can not believe the leaps and bounds he has made in the short time I have known him. One should never underestimate these children, they are so strong and can handle more than we think they can. They deserve every medical opportunity available out there that could potentially enhance their lives. Anything is possible. Joseph is proof of that. I feel privileged to know him, and I am very excited to see how is life unfolds.
Joseph still feeds through a G tube and it will be a long time before the tube can be removed, but he has been able to start with little tastes of mashed potatoes, yogurt, and baby food. This is an amazing step for this little guy.
Shortly after coming home from surgery Joseph caught a cold. "A challenge to deal with, but he's doing good.", Leslie said.
He was in great spirits. I asked him what he was going to be for Halloween and Leslie said for him to show me. He put on his hat, letting me know he is going to be a pirate. Leslie told him to show me his pirate face and he did. He had his whole movement down pat; a sharp move of his arm and a 'one eye willie'. I posted his adorable pics on our Facebook page. Check it out.
Precious Letters
Tatiania
I wanted to share with everyone this email I received. Whenever I receive emails from others their encouragement completely brightens up my day. I should really share them more often.
But, this one came with a photo. This is Tatiana, and her mother Vanessa reached out to say, "My daughter Tatiana wanted me to share this picture with Alyssa she is a big fan of her."
I wrote back to thank her and give my words of appreciation, and in return Vanessa wrote, "Jennifer everything counts when you try and help out children like them because some people wont even give them the time of day. But what is most wonderful about my daughter and I'm sure Alyssa they are the happiest kids ever she doesn't let anything bring her down! She is ahead in all of her classes in school they have so much potential and people like you are what help them have even more confidence and faith in themselves. And for Tatiana to know there are other kids like her it makes her so happy it brings me to tears she always says they are going to be friends because they are the same. Keep up the good work I know they are very appreciative of you! God bless you!"
These are the words that keep one going.
August's Exciting News
"Feeling Free" 2012
Thrilled to see that my work, Love for Alyssa has made the finalist cut for Critical Mass 2012. It is an honor to be selected as one of the 200 finalists out of 756 talented entries from around the world. This gives us a great opportunity to have more eyes see what we are all about. Two hundred respected jurors in the photographic world will now decide the final 50 finalist. Wish us luck!
In other news, we are regrouping from the summer and tackling the need for a new name for our organization. The name Love for Alyssa will always remain the name of this project, for I will always have much love for Alyssa. As we said before, now that our organization has grown with Jerry and Robert, we are in need of a name that suits us a unit and as a global brand. This task of deciding a new name has not been easy. I am hoping that any day, really soon, something great will pop into one of our minds. When this happens we will be able to launch our new website and move forward, so that things can continue to fall into place.
It is pretty remarkable to think how far we have come and how much I have learned in a yr and half. The journey thus far has been challenging yet rewarding. It is all about staying the course, for I know nothing every comes easy.
In case you missed our latest news, we are now a 501c3 tax-deductible organization!
Please have a look at little Joseph's video down below if you haven't seen it yet.
3 Million Dollar Baby + News
Please share this video of 2-year-old Joseph Parthemore with others. We believe social media is an important outlet to funnel such important messages. Many thanks to documentary photographer and filmmaker Jason Greene for creating this video. Thank you so much for your friendship and sharing your talent. RECENT NEWS- we are happy to say that we are now a 501c3 tax-deductible organization!
If you would like to make a donation you may do so here - DONATION
If you missed our CNN feature, the links are down below.
Thank you and please share with others.
CNN covers Love for Alyssa
Today is very exciting for us, CNN is featuring Love for Alyssa. Much thanks and appreciation goes to CNN's Brett Roegiers. CNN PHOTOS has 12 images and an interview- http://cnnphotos.blogs.cnn.com/category/jennifer-kaczmarek/
IN AMERICA - http://inamerica.blogs.cnn.com/2012/07/02/photos-love-for-alyssa-still-grows/
CNN HEALTH- http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2012/07/02/love-for-alyssa-examining-arthrogryposis/
Post Show-Love for Alyssa Exhibition
alyysa and joseph
Hi Everyone, May 12th came and went so fast. The show was everything I had hoped for it to be. The room oozed of positive energy. For me the evening was a complete whirlwind seeing three years in the making finally come to fruition. As I've said to those close to me, the only other event similar in my life to compare it to was my own wedding reception, where the fleeting details are lost in obscurity. After asking at least a handful of people about attendance, the reality was there were between 250 to 300 attendees throughout the night. The highlight was witnessing the faces that were so deeply moved. Not that my goal was to make people cry, but it was heart-warming to see such an emotional response, surprisingly quite a few men were struck hard. Common comments were made, "I can't imagine being a single dad in that position". Even if it had been a single mother should it be perceived any different or any less of a struggle, but with the traditional role left to a man in such a position was a trigger for some of the men in the room. What this meant all in all, was that I succeeded in what I was trying to do; to have one step into the shoes of another. It was all of the elements that came together that night that helped make it so impactful. The recognition of all our sponsors who made this show possible, the children's artwork that was donated that filled one wall that surrounded an image of Alyssa, the media support, the community support, and the overall message of reaching out and helping someone else. I believe it all resonated.
I would like to take a moment to thank some very special people. Joe Vance and the Southeast Center for Photographic Studies in Daytona Beach, FL, I thank Joe for his immense help, knowledge and friendship. Thank you to Kevin Miller the curator of The Southeast Museum of Photography in Daytona, FL for connecting me to Reg Garner owner of Triangle Reprographics in Orlando, FL. Love for Alyssa's beautiful prints, that stellar quality, made from a LightJet photographic digital printer on Fuji Crystal Archive photo paper. They are silver halide emulsion prints (not inkjet). Thank you to Victoria Jones and Markus Heilman, owners of Frame of Mind in Ormond Beach, FL for all their help and generosity. Thank you to Piedmont Plastics for sponsoring our plexiglass. Thank you to Hammock Beach Resorts for their amazing 3 bedroom oceanview suite and round of golf we raffled off at the exhibit. Thank you so much to Quenby Shereefor helping with the hard and tedious work of framing the images. Thank you to my brother-in-law, Rodd Kaczmarek for building a beautiful crate to store these images in. Thank you to Diana Nguyen and Tyler Gynizio for all of their help the night of the exhibition. Thank you to Hollingsworth Gallery. Thank you to Debbie Blazer for saving me the night before the exhibition with her talents. Thank you to Delynn and Kenneth Maples for all of their support, friendship, and hard work.
Also, I would like to thank Jennifer Kuiper for all the hard work she has volunteered to do since the start of this non-profit. She is an amazing person. Thank you to Kerri Huckabee and her school, Flagler Beach Montessori for their ongoing support, and to all the children of her school who donated artwork for our children's exhibition. Thank you to the children of Trinity Troopers Youth Group of Trinity Presbyterian Church, brownie troop 872 , the Hollingsworth Gallery's art classes, Flagler Highschool, and Pathways Elementary - where Alyssa attends. Thank you to the children of Hollingsworth art classes and the children of various other schools. All these children's artwork filled one wall that surrounded an image of Alyssa. Their inspirational work added magic to the evening.
In addition I would also like to thank the following people for their knowledge and gifts. Thank you to our wonderful musical act Beartoe. Thank you for all of the food that was sponsored for by Blue at the Topaz, Thai Korner, Woody's BBQ, Dominics Deli and Publix. Thank you to Sean McNeil, Christina Katsolis, Alexis Rogers, Victor Rollins, Eva Bishop, and Betty Jo, and Kacie Boniberger of UCF who interned with us. We are so grateful for all of the great supportive press we had. It was definitely a nice surprise to wake up the morning of the show to find that Alyssa was on the front page of the Daytona Beach News Journal.
Alyssa- Orlando Sentinel
Here are links to the following articles leading up to the show starting with the last.
A very special thank you to some special people in my life who traveled to share this special evening with me, my family; Debbie and Emilio Martinez, Christian, Natalie, Sammy, Alex, and baby Chrisitan who came from South Florida, Toma and Sharon Kaczmarek who came from Chicago, and our VP Delynn Maples and her husband Kenny Maples who came from Washington State.
Also, our team who is so invaluable; Jerry Englehart, Robert Larson, Rebecca Bower, Claire Santuae, and Delynn Maples. And, huge thanks to our lawyer Dennis Bayer and our paralegel Susan Kates.
Thank you to everyone who came out to support Alyssa and Joseph. Our first purchase was made a couple weeks ago, we assisted in getting Alyssa a wheelchair she needed to have while in school.
I've also been grateful for the acknowledgement of being one of the 11 finalist for the Michael P. Smith fund through the New Orleans Photo Alliance for my work in Love for Alyssa.
All I can say is that it is an exhilarating feeling to do something good!
* I do have a more serious note here to pass. To refresh, Joseph Parthemore is 2 years old and also born with arthrogryposis. Joseph's condition has affected him differently than Alyssa because he has the potential to walk one day. Currently he is fed through a tube and until recently he was not able to breathe on his own. He has made major strides since we first met last summer. Joseph's daily life can be life threatening if unattended. He requires 24 hour care because he is incapable of swallowing. Fluids in his mouth must be consistently suctioned. To Joseph's family he is known as the three million dollar baby because as of date his medical expenses have surpassed that amount. Recently Blue Cross Blue Shield has dropped coverage for his 24 hour care, leaving Medicaid demanding a $2,800 a month co-pay for a nurse. This is an amount that they simply can not reach, and they are losing their battle against the insurance companies.
What is wonderful is that I have a platform to get this message out because his family is not being heard. If you can help or know someone that can please pass this along.
Our video of Joseph is almost complete, I just saw the first cut a couple days ago. Jason Greene is so gifted. Please stay tuned it will be posted soon.
Please continue donating and supporting these children.
Warm regards,
Jennifer Kaczmrek
Exhibition Promo
Exciting, our exhibition promo mailers arrived today!
Big Giveaways!
ENTER A CHANCE TO WIN!
We would like to thank the Club at Hammock Beach for helping us in our fundraising efforts, they have graciously given us 2 great giveaways we know you will love! We are going to raffle off these items starting today. You may purchase tickets now until the night of the exhibition, May 12th, when the drawing will take place. We will have two separate drawings for these items that evening. Tickets will be just $5 dollars or 5 for $20 dollars. There is no limit to the amount of tickets you may purchase, and you do not need to be at the event to participate, though we would love it if you could be there!
Proceeds from your donations will go towards assisting in the care of both Alyssa Hagstrom and 2-year-old Joseph Parthemore, also born with Arthrogryposis.
Out- of- towners may want to participate, Hammock Beach Resorts is a wonderful getaway!
* 2 NIGHT / 3 DAY STAY IN A 3 BEDROOM OCEAN VIEW SUITE AT HAMMOCK BEACH RESORT
OR
* ONE ROUND OF GOLF FOR 4 PLAYERS AT THE CONSERVATORY GOLF COURSE
How to play
After purchasing your tickets, you will need to inform us which drawing you are participating in by contacting us at loveforalyssa@gmail.com
1. click on the donation link at the top of the page.
2. use the pay pal button to make your donation for your ticket/s. (if you are purchasing more than $20, use the non specified paypal button further below.)
3. email loveforalyssa@gmail.com to give us your name, address, phone number, and email address.
4. we will email you back your raffle ticket number/s.
Please feel free to email us with any questions you may have.
Contact us if you wish to pay cash. You may also pay cash or check for your raffle ticket/s the night of the event.
Checks may be sent to: Love For Alyssa, Inc., P.O. Box 351025, Palm Coast, FL 32135 (please remember to add all contact information).
BEST OF LUCK!
Wedding Day
Alexxis, Duane & Alyssa
Alexxis, Duane, & Alyssa just moments before the ceremony
On Sunday, February, 12, 2012, Alyssa and Alexxis's dad got married. Duane and Amy invited their closest friends and family to share their special day. A beautiful backyard wedding that took place at a friend's home. I thought I would share a couple of my favorite images.
group photo
Alyssa with her new siblings, Preston and Jackson. Along with Amy and Duane just moments after the ceremony
If you missed our last post please have a look, "Introducing our new vision."
Introducing Our New Vision And Additions To The Team
To all who follow and support Love for Alyssa, we are truly evolving. In just a few months we will expand greatly. This expansion will bring new photographers, a new name to our company, a new website, and more inspiring work. Shortly after launching this project publicly, the idea of creating something on a larger scale felt like the right move. The vision of sharing this experience with other like minded photographers whose personal work moves them to the point of taking their actions a step further, by giving a platform to those without voice. Last summer we refilled our articles of amendment so that our mission statement would better fit this larger vision. Our mission statement remains:
The specific charitable, scientific, literary, and educational objectives of this non-profit corporation, which was initially created by the inspiration of a little girl named Alyssa Jadyn Hagstrom who was born with a rare condition called Arthrogryposis which left her with no use of her legs and arms and limited use of her fingers, is to use the art of photography, video and online media to raise funds for the medical care and basic needs to Alyssa and others. Photography allows people to connect in a way they otherwise could not. A single image can speak magnitudes about what life is like for others. It is our hope that these images will inspire people to help make an impact on someone else’s life. Within a collaborative nature, we hope to give a voice to those who cannot due to their limited capacity.
Jerry Englehart, Jr.
As you know, photographer Jerry Englehart joined our organization in the summer of 2011. Jerry and I have been friends since photo school. We both attended The Southeast Center for Photographic Studies, in Daytona Beach, FL. Upon graduating he attended Western Kentucky University, in Bowling Green Kentucky, for photojournalism. Jerry still is a student, but is on hiatus for 6 months in San Clemente, California where he accepted an internship with Zuma Press. In Kentucky Jerry started documenting the community of refugees from Burma, and is continuing to do so with the community of refugees in San Diego, CA. Since 2008 the largest portion of refugees relocated each year in America, have been from Burma. With recent progressions in the political arena back in Burma, again known by its original name, Myanmar, their politics are moving back towards a more democratic system. Yet, for those refugees that definitely want to stay in America the language barrier still presents a difficulty in access to even basic medical care. Within Myanmar there are roughly six distinct ethnic languages other than Burmese and there are few individuals in the relocated communities that can translate for them. In his larger pursuit to document the communities of Burma refugees, Jerry wants to focus a good portion of his attention on these health related stories. http://www.jerryenglehart.com/
Robert Larson
Getting this organization to reach a larger audience has been greatly attributed to the workings of social networking, and through the greatness of social media we met photographer and writer, Robert Larson. Our paths crossed thanks to Andy Adams' Flak Photo Network, a great space that Andy created for photographers to interact. Robert lives in Los Angeles, California. He is currently raising funds for his long term photography project,Waiting for Haiti. Waiting for Haiti is about Haiti’s past, present and future. It is a story told through the eyes of a young Haitian man named Jeanmary Michel, and the friendship that formed between he and Robert. Waiting for Haiti seeks to shed a light back onto the troubled country, and to answer many burning questions regarding the 15 billion plus dollars donated to Haiti for earthquake relief. Please go to http://www.waitingforhaiti.com/ for more information about his project. Through our organization, Robert’s desire is to help fund Sean Penn’s Haitian relief organization, J/P H.R.O.
http://www.robertlarsonphotography.com/
As a collective of photographers who’s interest span international to domestic health issues, we as a group hope to shed honest light upon the emotions, the people, and the realities of each story we are pursuing to raise funds for through our organization. We are now awaiting approval to become a 501c3 organization.
We also welcome Rebecca Bower, as Treasurer, and Clair Santuae, as Secretary.
Love for Alyssa’s exhibit will be May 12, 2012.