My sweet son, Søren, was diagnosed with a life-threatening rare primary immune disorder just after his first birthday. We were told that our days with him might be numbered, and we were shattered. I felt myself scrambling to hold onto, well, everything. 

Feeling helpless, I did the only thing that felt like taking control: I picked up my camera and with all the love in my heart, documented his day-to-day activities—the things that bonded us together as a family. It was the best way to remember his belly laughs, the sound of his sweet little voice, the way we’d synchronize our breathing, or how he’d look at me and, without speaking, we knew what the other was thinking. 

Preserving that magic during that difficult time saved me. And as days turned into years, I knew I wanted to share what I’d learned during that time with other families, like yours. To work together to create legacy pieces via photographs and film that you’ll return to again and again. 

Because I know you’ll want to remember the moments that you think you’ll never forget.

And whether your story takes on an ordinary or unexpected challenge, it’s important to celebrate each chapter.

If you could stop time for just a few hours, you would—just to hold tightly to each ticking second.

It’s all so precious and fleeting, this life. And when you’re in the middle of it all, your priorities are often just to get through it, not to appreciate what it’s giving you.

But if you could see it, you could feel it. That’s where I come in.

Let’s connect and talk about creating + crafting a meaningful experience for your family.

Why Fifty Two Hundred? 

Just after his first birthday, our son was diagnosed with a rare, life-threatening primary immune disorder. It was terrifying. His only real hope was a bone marrow transplant. After a long and challenging journey, sweet Søren is on the path to healing. At Duke Children’s Hospital, the pediatric bone marrow transplant unit is 5200. I was forever changed by the both the despair and joy I felt there. The children and parents I met on 5200 changed the course of my vocation and my life. I now ask myself daily, “What I am going to do with this precious life, and how can I seek beauty, light, and joy with a grateful heart?” 

These stories of resiliency, heartbreak, and fierce love transformed me in profound ways.

I’ve felt some of the purest joy on some of my darkest of days on 5200. Days when we thought our son was not going to survive, we had dance parties in our tiny ICU room, we belly laughed while all three of us snuggled up tight in a hospital bed, and we made lifelong friends and connections with those on the journey with us.  

Fifty Two Hundred Photo celebrates the preciousness of life while honoring its challenges—and chooses to find the beauty in the everyday.

To see more about Søren’s journey and the story behind Fifty Two Hundred, click here.

*A portion of all proceeds will be donated to Duke PBMT Family Support which is dedicated to caring for, serving, and easing the burden for patients and families in the Duke Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant (PBMT) community.