meet brendan

If you have a young child between the ages of 6 months and 3 years old, you must read this post!

A couple of years ago, I had the opportunity to photograph baby Liam and his mommy.  Needless to say, we’ve become friends and I’ve been keeping up with her through Facebook.  Danielle is a very talented graphic designer and she actually does customized invitations with her own business Danielle Designs.  About 2 weeks ago, I was contacted by Danielle regarding her second child named Brendan.  Much to my dismay, it was a sad correspondence.  I found out that Brendan has Retinoblastoma and she contacted me to see if I can photograph Brendan before he loses all of his hair after his first round of chemotherapy… After coordinating our schedules, I made it out to their home last week.  I didn’t really know what to expect… Once I got there, I was so happy to see that Brendan was doing really well!  He is such a happy baby and you would have never guessed that he had undergone chemotherapy a few days before our session.  It breaks my heart to see little ones go through rigorous tests and treatments, even a  poke by a needle is so hard to see.  Please pray for this little guy for  much needed strength and for his speedy recovery.  As of today, I am happy to say that Brendan hasn’t had any hair loss and is doing great!  Danielle and her husband are all about spreading awareness regarding Retinoblastoma.  It is curable, but early detection is key!  Please read below on some details regarding Retinoblastoma and what you can do as a parent.

Brendan is almost 14 months old. He’s a healthy, active 1 year old who’s determined and strong-willed. He’s passed his brother in many milestones like crawling and walking. On March 22, 2010, Brendan was diagnosed with Retinoblastoma. He was taken in due to his right eye that was turning inward (crossing), which was thought to be Strabismus, but after dilating his pupils, the tumor was discovered by our pediatric ophthalmologist.

Retinoblastoma is a rare eye cancer that occurs in children (usually between the ages of 6 months and 3 years). There are approximately 250-300 cases in the US each year (about 1 out of every 15,000 live births). While rare, more than 95% of patients treated in the US are cured.

Symptoms of Retinoblastoma are a white pupil when taking flash photography (often referred to as a “cat’s eye” that has reflective qualities or a glow – this is the tumor blocking the red retina that would normally cause red-eye). Another sign of the disease is an eye that turned inward (crossed) or turned outward. Other more rare symptoms are redness, inflammation, pain and poor vision.

Most cases of Retinoblastoma are not hereditary. Those cases usually result in a tumor in only one eye. Hereditary Retinoblastoma normally effects both eyes.

Treatment is based on many factors, but can include enucleation (removal of the eye to prevent spreading to the rest of the body), radiation, photocoagulation (laser treatment), cryotherapy (freezing treatment), chemotherapy and/or a combination of these.

Early detection is crucial in treating Retinoblastoma. One easy way to catch this cancer is by taking a flash photo of your child once a month (eyes looking directly at the camera). If you see anything abnormal, consult your pediatrician.

Here are my faves from Brendan’s session.  Danielle, it was my pleasure to meet and photograph Brendan!  God Bless you and your family!

I fell in love with his big beautiful blue eyes right away, just like his big brother Liam’s

I love this moment between the two little ones!

The last time I saw Liam, he was only a few weeks old!  And look at him now!  As handsome as ever…

Happy belated 1st birthday to Brendan.  Danielle wanted me to photograph him eating his chocolate cake… of course, I couldn’t resist!  I love these series of shots…

It actually wasn’t as messy as I thought it would be, but there were a few crumbs on the walls after he was done… =D

… and tons on the hard wood floor!

“All done!”

Now who doesn’t like little piggy toes with chocolate on them!

I have a good guess of what Brendan was thinking while he was drinking… “the best milk ever!”

It goes well with chocolate doesn’t it?

Wash up time!

I’m praying for you, little Brendan.  God Bless you.

Love, Michele