In 2013, my parents were in treatment for cancer – my mom for breast cancer and my dad for pancreatic cancer. This yearlong series documents the pain and challenges of treatment, but also focuses on their bravery in the face of mortality. With compassion and respect, I aspired to capture the full range of their experience – from the daily banter they shared as husband and wife to their shifting dynamic as patient and caregiver. While my father passed away in December, I see this project as a way to immortalize my parents, their strength in the face of illness, and their love for each other.
Cancer gave my family a valuable gift -- an awareness of time. My mother has been battling her disease for over twenty years, and as a family we have not taken any of those years for granted. My father only had one year with his disease and we knew our time together would be short. By photographing my parents in this time, I was able to archive their story and capture their essence, remembering the good moments and the bad, as well as the silly moments and the sad. The project became my history as well as theirs.
