Gabe wants to be a cowboy when he grows up. Today, he got to be a little ‘grown up’! Gabe turned 7 yesterday and to celebrate he got to go ride horses and got to play cowboy with me for a little bit.
Gabe was diagnosed with neuroblastoma at the end of October 2006, on the same day that I photographed Mackenzie from a previous post. As soon as mom told me the date, I shivered.
Although Gabe looks perfect, it was very real to me that he has been fighting a war. He wanted me to photograph his muscles, and you can’t do that with a shirt on. I’ll keep those pictures for his mommy but let tell you about it. Scars, tubes etc decorated his sweet little body but that wasn’t the thing that most caught the eye of my lens. He had tatoos!!! OK, not the ‘normal’ kind but that of a sister’s love all over his body. Faith wants to be an artist, I can see that. The best tatoo was the HUGE heart on his tummy and side that said ‘mommy’.
He brought his two sisters along. Lexie – 14 and will be a freshman.
Faith ~ the artist
Gabe was exhausted by the end of our ‘shoot out’ (my camera – his ‘guns’!). He fell asleep in his mommy’s arms. I asked if she sang to him. Did she ever! Wowsers! As Dawn’s voice sang the most beautiful song, I shot through four streams of tears rollng down my cheeks.
When I talked to Gabe’s mommy about our ‘shoot’, she told me how much she studies his face so she can remember every bit of it. Dawn, I hope this will help.
Gabe and his family would love your prayers.
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