Live Sweet + Love All

Campbell :: Mitochondrial Disorder

Campbell was born a very frail little thing. Her geneticist told her family not to expect more than three years with her, and Campbell has defied all odds recently celebrating her 7th birthday! The closest her doctors can come to a diagnosis is Mitochondrial disorder, but that has been widely debated. They are not 100% sure what is wrong with her body, but anyone who meets her will gladly agree there is nothing wrong with her spirit. She is a beautiful carefree, happy little girl that leaves a piece of herself with you when you leave her. She is amazing.

Photography by Carrie Anne Miranda

Music By: Francesca Battistelli

Hendrix :: Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)

Hendrix is doing great. He is running around and playing with Azera daily. His favorite things to do are ride his balance bike and swim in the pool (and play with Tonka trucks and Hotwheels). He loves Lightening McQueen and Finn McMissile from Cars movie. His favorite color is yellow, favorite food is PB&J and chocolate milk. He has two favorite movies right now-Ice Age and Lion King. He is also very fond of his i-pad games and puzzles. His absolute favorite thing to do is play outside. He would play with his cars and trucks in the mud and dirt all day if we let him. I think the pool is a close second now : )

Hendrix has Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) subtype M7. It is a very rare and aggressive form of leukemia. This type effects the cells that make platelets in the blood. The platelets are the sticky cells that stick together to form clots when you are cut or bleeding. There are only about 50 cases or less a year in children in the United States every year. He has seen the specialist here at Children’s Central Valley and at UC San Francisco. Because this form is so aggressive, he is a candidate for a bone marrow transplant. He was put on the National Bone Marrow Registry on April 26, 2012 and so far a match has not been found.

To register to become a bone marrow donor, people can get a FREE simple cheek swab done. Local people can get this done at any Central California Blood Center or people can have a kit sent to them in the mail. People can sign-up to be a bone marrow donor at getswabbed.org or bethematch.org. You have to be between ages 18-60 and in good general health. There are a lot of medical issues that would not qualify you as a donor, but both websites have the medical questions.

photography by Carrie Anne Miranda and Brittany Wilbur

music by rob thomas :: little wonders

Ilias :: optic nerve hypoplasia, septo optic dysplasia, hormone deficiency

Ilias is a happy boy. His optic nerve hypoplasia makes it impossible for him to see, but he doesn’t let his lack of sight stop his love for life. His love for music, especially his guitar, makes him one joyful boy. “The simple things in life are what we value most now,” explains Cecilia, Ilias mother. “He has really brought this family together.”

Ilias disabilities, (optic nerve hypoplasia, septo optic dysplasia and hormone deficiency), make it difficult for him to move around freely, but he sits up on his own. His father, Michael, has been a pillar of strength for him. He was the helpful hand that taught Illias how to conquer his latest feat.

As a family of four now, (Cecilia and Michael welcomed little Michael to their family recently), they tells us that it seems impossible to imagine life without Ilias. He has tied them together and the bond of this family is definitely something special.

photography by brittany wilbur

bio by dominique james

Justin :: cerebral palsy

At birth Justin was lethargic which led to concerns, however no clear diagnosis’s were made at that time. Throughout the first four months of his life he would choke, turn blue and get rushed to the hospital. Finally doctors discovered his intestines were rotated and he immediately underwent surgery to corrected the issue. Around this time Justin began having seizures, and at seven months he was diagnosed with cerebral palsy.

Justin is now a thriving nine year old boy. For the past 2-3 years he has been attending physical therapy. He is now able to scoot around on his bottom and hopefully he will be walking soon. Justin is non-verbal but for the most part understands what is being communicated to him. Justin will high five and signal he loves you by pointing to his eye, heart and you. Justin has shown great improvement over the past few years and continually draws motivation from his mom, little brother and physical therapist Chris.

On hot summer days you will find Justin at his happiest while hanging out in the pool. He enjoys floating around, kicking his legs and splashing the water. Pure JOY!

photography by Elizabeth Newton

music by rob thomas :: little wonders

Lulu :: 1p36 Deletion Syndrome

Lulu loves the outdoors and just has such an amazing spirit about her. She has a very rare disorder that affects her physical and mental abilities. 1 in 5-10,000 children are affected with this condition. She has been in and out of the hospital most of her life, and her mother actually moved to Fresno to be close to the Children’s Hospital. She will be celebrating her third birthday soon. She is such a strong willed driven little thing, and wants to move, move, move and looks to be on the path to crawling soon!

Photography by ::  Carrie Anne Miranda

Music by :: Eva Cassidy

Macee :: Down Syndrome

The Fleming’s were anxiously awaiting the birth of their fifth child, a baby girl. They had hopes of an at home birth, however on June 23, 2010 while in their family car Macee was welcomed into this world. At first glance her mommy had a sudden thought flash through her head… she looked like she may have down syndrome, but how could that be? Once the fleming’s arrived at the hospital, it took nearly a day to confirm Macee’s condition was in fact down syndrome.

This families outlook on life, their faith in God, their strength as a family, and their thankfulness regardless of the struggles that may be ahead is truly an inspiration to me.

“God showed his amazing love and support through my husband who was an incredible instrument in which God just poured his love on me. I am so thankful. Now all I see is this amazing little girl who is so cute and precious, just like our other four children. She is no different.” -{MOM} Jeanette

photography by Brittany Wilbur

clothing donated by ga ga chic, Fresno

music by third day :: love song

Riley :: kidney failure

Riley is a beautiful baby girl whose sparkling eyes could brighten any day. Her giggles are infectious and often hide the fact that her life is a daily fight. Riley was born with end stage kidney failure, which means both of her kidneys are barely functioning and they are unable to efficiently clean her blood. She has been in and out of the hospital due to infections and various treatments. The next step and only the other option in treating Riley’s kidney failure is a kidney transplant. Once this 18 pound princess reaches 22 pounds she will be eligible for a transplant.
Here is a website answering FAQ regarding becoming a kidney donor and ways you may be able to help.

photography by Bree Wilber

music by francesca battistelli :: beautiful beautiful

Gabriel :: trisomy 21, A.L.L. survivor

Gabriel is full of energy. He has been known to surprise his teachers as well as his parents for his ability to adapt and learn so quickly. Even though Gabriel has trisomy 21 (an extra chromosome that causes his speech and other delays), he is high functioning and has changed his family dynamic for the better. He enjoys thrilling rides at theme parks, swimming, riding his bicycle and giving hugs.

“He has changed our family. Because of Gabriel, we are more accepting of people from every aspect in life. We are humbled and more patient.” says Gabriel’s mother.

Gabriel and his family enjoy regular outings to the library and time at church. They are proud to say that he is a survivor of acute lyblastic leukemia. He is five year remission now. Gabriel is a reminder to cherish everyday.

photography by Chance James

bio by Dominique James

music by Train :: your every color

Gisele :: Down Syndrome

Sweet Gisele is a smiley little one year old and the apple of her parents eyes. She was born on February 11th, 2011 with down syndrome and two holes in her heart, thankfully at this time her heart is doing really well. Gisele currently uses a G-Tube to get nutrients due to some feeding issues.

Gisele goes to physical therapy during the week to help strengthen her muscles. She is not crawling yet but she is getting close and will soon be on her way.

This little blessing brings her family so much love and happiness and we feel so grateful for being able to spend time and capture a few brief moments with her.

photography by Gwen Hawkins

clothing donated by pigtails and gumdrops, shelly bee embroidery, sprinklings beaded necklaces,  kidz from marz boutique

music by alex g :: landslide

Angelina :: Hydrocephalus

Hydrocephalus, also known as “water in the brain” is a medical condition in which there is an abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the ventricles, or cavities, of the brain. This may cause increased intracranial pressureinside the skull and progressive enlargement of the head, convulsion, tunnel vision, and mental disability.

Angelia was not expected to come home from the hospital but she is now five months old and living at home with her family. Doctors are unable to give a prognosis for Angelia but each day is a if from God and a blessing to her loved ones.

photography by Brittany Wilbur

music by Alison Krauss - Baby Mine

Samantha :: Cerebral Palsy, Optic Nerve Hypoplasia

When Samantha was born her parents thought she was a perfectly healthy baby girl. After two months Samantha’s mom began to notice Sami was not showing emotion; she had a blank look on her face and did not smile. It was not until her four month check up doctors started to suspect something was wrong with Samantha. Several tests were ran and her first diagnosis was hypogenesis of the corpus callosom (a portion of the largest midline structure of the brain was missing).

At seven months of age sweet Sami was admitted to Children’s Hospital for pneumonia. During the next 30 days Samantha would heal and her parents would learn she also had cerebral palsy, optic nerve hypoplasis, severe hearing loss, would need a feeding tube, and would be developmentally delayed, along with several other issues. Although a lot to take in for her family at first, Samantha has been and will continue to be a true blessing to her family.

During her five years of life Samantha has taught her family more than they could ever teach her; how to love, be accepting, be patient, enjoy every moment, appreciate everything. Samantha is her parents “Angel” and is beyond loved.

clothing by gaga chic

photography by brittany wilbur

music by Sean Hayes :: angel

Sara :: Quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy

March 29, 2010 Sara Fatima Payne was welcomed into this world, but all was not well for this sweet baby. The first warning sign that something was wrong came when she did not cry at birth. The troubles continued during her first night in the nursery, Sara began having apnea spells causing her to stop breathing and turn black and blue. Sara was then rushed to Children’s Hospital where she would spend the next six weeks. While at Children’s Hospital Sara began having 50 back to back seizures a day. It was determined the source of the seizures was caused by the common herpes virus. In Sara’s rare case, the herpes virus attacked her brain and left her with only 5% of her brain functioning. There were several instances she was declared in a vegetative state and was not expect her to make it out of the NICU, however after much comfort, many prayers, and mommy and daddy by her side, Sara came home.

Sara is now two years old and has undergone two separate hospitalizations for pancreatitis and uncontrollable seizures. Despite all she has endured, Sara still pushes forward. She can now bear weight on her legs (she prefers her stander), is more alert, has become emotionally involved and will smile when happy, she enjoys eating by mouth, and is trying hard to learn to keep her head up! The future can only tell how far Sara will push against the odds, but with her strong family, faith, and all the love in the world the sky is the limit.