Penelope just turned one recently and she’s been through a lot. Her symptoms started at 6 months with constipation which is a very common symptom in a 6-month-old. As the next few months progressed her constipation came and went and then other symptoms started to emerge (clenching her rear end, wincing when laid down, fussiness, personality changes, gross motor delay) and eventually presented itself as excessive sleeping, little to no appetite and then listlessness in her lower extremities. She was diagnosed on November 9, 2020, with neuroblastoma.
The day I took Penelope to the ER, which turned into her surgery stay, diagnosis, and first treatment, we had a family photo session scheduled for the holidays. Even though Penelope seemed a bit off that morning, we still went. The entire time we were there she was miserable and I couldn’t figure out why. We couldn’t get her to smile, she wouldn’t sit with her brother, she wouldn’t stop fussing and crying which is so unlike her. We ended up going home early. I was so bummed and also so worried about P, however, I had no idea what the next days were going to bring. Those are the only professional pictures I have of Penelope and the most recent ones of my son. They are also the only professional pictures I have of the four of us and I have yet to be able to bring myself to look at them. My daughter has come a long way since then and our family has been through hell. I really just want to be able to capture some nice pictures of my kids and my husband and me so that we have something beautiful to cherish during this time.
Hope session by Sarah Lake Photography | Facebook | Instagram