Avery & The Gold Hope Project
I learned about The Gold Hope Project (“TGHP”) a few years ago. TGHP is a registered 501(c(3) nonprofit organization that matches professional photographers with families battling a pediatric cancer diagnosis for free portrait sessions for their little warriors (https://goldhopeproject.com/). I loved the idea of using my skills to bring some joy to these families. Although I volunteered awhile back I was contacted for the first time last December. I was more than happy to set up a session with a warrior named Avery who is battling a brain tumor diagnosis.
For a little background on Avery I will use her father Paul’s own words from his Facebook post last December:
Two years ago, at 3AM in an ER in Vermont we heard the words no parent is ever ready to hear. “Your daughter has a brain tumor in her thalamus…. I’m sorry”. The whole world stopped and then it cracked in half as we tried to comprehend the words we just heard.
Two years, 4 brain surgeries, 2 rounds of radiation, 18 months of clinical trial medications and way too many ER visits … Avery’s still here and she’s still fighting.
None of this would have been possible without the amazing medical teams at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Yale New Haven, Weil Cornell and Columbia, the support from the Cure Starts Now, the DIPG Navigators, PNOC, families in the fight themselves and our community of friends and family that have rallied around Avery and sent more prayers than we could have imagined.
Thank You All.
The more I spoke to Paul on the phone, the more determined I became to capture this amazing eleven year old girl, her sister Lexi and her parents. I learned that Avery was a huge soccer fan, a skier, a sailor and a violin player. She is living her life as a typical 11 year old as much as possible and is doing a good job at that.
Avery was as special as I imagined. She has a beautiful smile and a gentle manner but also exudes spunk and determination. Her love for her sister Lexi and her parents was so evident. I especially enjoyed capturing Avery with Lexi. The sisters clearly share an incredible bond and Avery’s smiles were so authentic whenever her sister was beside her.
Ending my 2023 photography season with this special session was an honor. I continue to pray for this brave warrior and her family. I hope you do the same. In addition, there are concrete ways you can help.
To learn more about Avery here are links to her social media pages:
https://www.facebook.com/AverysLittleArmy
https://www.instagram.com/averyslittlearmy/
Her father shared with me an upcoming fundraiser called The Cure Starts Now’s Blast Cancer Walk and Fundraiser on April 27th at Lighthouse Park in New Haven. Here is the link for the details of the fundraiser:
https://events.thecurestartsnow.org/blast-cancer-walk-connecticut/
And finally here is a link to Avery’s Army personal fundraising page:
I am happy to report that my latest update from Paul was positive. He told me that Avery’s tumor is stable and that is a really good thing. He even told me that Avery had competed in a ski race. Avery is truly remarkable in my book.