https://www.facebook.com/Afightagainstneuroblastoma/posts/1752100481710384:0
As a photographer it is important to capture the truth and the reality of a situation, too easy it becomes to capture the joy of life whilst discarding the torture that we see.
This is the hardest photograph I have ever made, it is in fact my own four year old daughter. A few days ago she was given what is most likely only a few weeks to live after a battle against cancer that has been waged for over twelve months. This photograph was made in a moment that we as parents could offer her no comfort, her pushing us away whilst she rode out this searing pain in solitude. This sadly, for us as a family, is not a sight that we see rarely. This is now a familiar sight that we see regularly through each day and night, its frequency now more often. This is the true face of cancer, my baby girls blood vessels protruding from beneath her skin, a solitary tear running down her cheek, her body stiffened and her face contorted in pain.
I could try and use a thousand words to describe this image that we as parents are confronted with on a daily basis but these words would fall short of truly depicting the sight we see. With this photo I do not mean to offend or upset, I do mean however to educate and shock those that see it in it’s context. Perhaps by seeing this photo people not in our position will be made aware of the darkness that is childhood cancer, perhaps these same people may be able to do something about it so that in the future no child has to suffer this pain, so that no parent has to bear witness to their own flesh and blood deteriorating daily.
The only apologies I offer are to those that know Jessica, I understand that this photo is hard to see and even harder to absorb. To those that do not know Jessica I offer no apologies, this is what cancer does to a child in their final weeks and days!!! Before her diagnosis I was one of those ignorant to the darkness of childhood cancer, not truly appreciating the hell that it brings. It would never happen to us! Now I give childhood cancer the respect it deserves, seeing too many children suffering this same fate and watching families torn apart.
If this photograph only serves as a purpose to make people think twice about this evil and put into perspective what it does to a child then it has achieved its purpose. Research needs to be done, cures need to be found, too long now has this been allowed to happen.
Please I beg of you, as a heartbroken father, it is too late for my daughter, but childhood cancer needs to be cured. No family should have to go through this hell.
Filed under: General Problems
If children are being denied end of life pain management I would, and Every person in the U.S. would aswell. I would like to post this article but am reluctant to only for the author has not described details of medication refusal by the doctors or Pharmacist, or any external cause of the suffering beyond cancer itself. If details can be added I would like to hear about it.
I worked with childhool cancer patients and their families for 18 years. Ten years ago i was forced to retire due to a diagnosis of adhesive arachnoiditis. Pain can be controlled for children with these devastating diseases. I never experienced the medical staff leaving a child in uncontrolled pain but that was ten years ago. If this is what’s happening to children today ….it’s just plain evil.
Breaks my heart, so inhumane.
As I mentioned before,my hubby;s father worked for the cia,30 years,,NONE OF HIS 5 BOYS WERE EVER VACCINATED,EVER,, SINCE THEY BELONG TO A CHURCH,religious school,at that time,,,no vaccines needed…When we got married,,,they freaked,,my hubby had never had 1 vaccine in his life,,,that should tell all of us how bad our government truly is!!!!!mary
One of the reasons I quit posting on many of the disabled, elderly and pain advocacy boards was due to the small piece of the puzzle most were willing to look at. The doctors and govt are not stupid. Most, not all, do not WANT you get well or even be treated properly. There is no $$ in giving you an Rx of $20 generic morphine or methadone. But its so much bigger. There ARE cures available, for most of what causes our pain (unless it is due to injury not illness). Take some time and research. The model of medicine that is taught in the US is flawed as are the agencies that rule over us. What would Jefferson or Madison said about unelected BUREAUCRATS NOT ELECTED OFFICIALS decided ANYTHING about our lives? Do you see what I mean? This is on such a larger scale here than just our medical treatment.
How many are aware that the Federal Govt is not allowed BY LAW to own ANY land in our INDEPENDENT SOVEREIGN NATION STATES outside of ports, forts, and armories? Even Federal National Forests are ILLEGAL. Who is aware that Federal courts, outside of SCOTUS are not allowed by law to sit in permanence, it is ILLEGAL. (see Article III of US Constitution) It is illegal to send STATE Nat Guard forces outside of America W/OUT A FORMAL DECLARATION OF WAR BY CONGRESS. It is illegal for Congress to delegate war making power to the president (see AUMF) for ANY reason. It is ILLEGAL for Congress to delegate power of our currency to any other enitity let alone a private bank owned by EUROPEAN FAMILIES so essentially FOREIGNERS.
This govt is treasonous and it goes farther than Obama or Hillary Clinton. Until we recognize and deal w/this we can’t expect to be treated any better than dogs in the street or worse as some have mentioned. It is boring to see the shock expressed and the pleas to a criminal agency like the DEA for mercy. How do you all think the heroin gets here? Where is it from ? Afghanistan. Why do you think so may vets commit suicide every day? They are supporting a criminal conspiracy to defraud their fellow Americans NOT fight for them but AGAINST not only their interests but their very lives.
I am not writing this to anyone in particular who has shared here. I read so many comments this morning on NPR but could not reply because I was banned from posting there well over 2yrs ago for mentioning the criminality of the govt and the chance of getting any satisfaction from the criminals therein. See how the whole system is set against not only us but every single American today?
We are wasting our time pointing our stats that show the govts numbers are wrong. Same issue w/gun control and free speech. They LIE, simple explanation. They do not like being restrained and the best way to limit the blowback is to oppress the people in as many ways as possible and not only denying care but actually CAUSING illness. This poor child featured here is a prime example. Do children get sick? Of course BUT has anyone noticed the SHEER NUMBER of the children who fall ill to cancer, autism, and many other diseases? Same can be said for adults. It is sickening to see so many of our fellow Americans ill. THIS IS NOT NORMAL NOR HAS IT EVER BEEN. Who is aware of the dangers of simply going to the grocery store, where over 70% of the foods contain gmos which many tests have shown (corn is a great example) that 3rd generation animals tested on were STERILE!! Is this a “conspiracy theory”? You can bet your britches is it and its real too.
Go into your grocery store and see that FLUORIDE is added to infant/nursery water. Oh yeah, a NEUROTOXIN. The ZIKA spraying? NALED banned in most countries because its toxic effect is FAR WORSE than the actual virus they are trying to eradicate. Its a CRIME. I know I was experiencing a resurgence in my health after being on the brink of death last summer having to take antibiotics and antifungals because I had no immune system left. GONE and no I don’t have AIDS OR HIV I dont do illegal drugs nor smoke, drink alcohol, I dont even drink sodas due to the acidity in those drinks are hundreds of times higher than healthy barometeres yet the tv blares the “diet” value of these soft drinks. I could go on for pages but I hopefully made my point.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDT0Z6wPzSU What is going on? This short video gives a pretty good idea of how stupid the govt thinks we are. Oh and the CDC? They are a private for profit, corporation, like most govt agencies are. How many of our “advocate know this information or even want to upset the apple cart. These jokers make good money w/us streaming in to see them every month. We get well they lose out. Its really simple. Really. What can we do?
What did Jefferson and Madison say? Nullification. Any law passed not in furtherance of the Constitution is NULL AND VOID. How do we go about this? The same way our brothers have in basically nullifying Federal marijuana laws. Nullify the laws, interpose the state between victim and aggressor (Feds) and refuse to cooperate w/illegal laws w/State resources. You would be amazed at the futility of enforcing thousands of laws w/out State and county help. This ant-commandeering doctrine was taught by Madison who rightly saw that the Feds cannot grow powerful w/out submission by the States. We can hange that. But not by hiring some other clown that is but a puppet (sorry Donald Gump Trainers hes a corporate stooge too) They are building a FASCIST state, almost done actually and prescriptions are the least of our worries as there will not remain any liberty for our future generations if we don’t get out front and stop these CRIMINALS. U R wasting your time writing your representative. Why? What exactly have they done to stop any of the aforementioned CRIMINAL acts? Nothing, they just keep accumulating power and wealth while we continually lose BOTH. What to do? Get w/the program guys. Stop buying in to the propaganda. Are you aware why we are even called the United States not the United STATE. WE are not a country. Nor nation. That is right. Never were. Its like calling the EU a country, its ridiculous. Why does every state have its own governor , borders, legislature, militia, tax codes (no State income tax in TN). IF we were a country why the hassle w/changing driving, hunting, fishing licenses? Car tags etc? Its propaganda and it needs to stop yesterday.
Please share some of the information here for our childrens sake if nothing else. http://tenthamendmentcenter.com/2016/07/30/this-is-not-one-nation-and-never-was/
http://tenthamendmentcenter.com/petition/
Whats going on? Tom D’Ambra explains very well~
I forwarded this article,like i do most of Steves to my reporesentives and to email address in our government in Washington D.C…the dea will not give out a email,,but a email starting w/ODLL,gov,,is given out for a email for them,,,anyone know what agency ODLL stands for??I am in a email fight back and forth about the cruelity towards this child,,there come back to me was,,”were saving thee addicts,”’,,,,I would love to knowe who/what government agency this is,,,mary
I read that with tears in my eyes. That picture is worth more than anyone can say. I watched my father-in-law suffer from terminal bone cancer for a year prior to his death. I can honestly say that I never realized terminal cancer could be that painful. I remember thinking so many times that if that amount of pain can make a grown man cry, beg for someone to end his life, then I can’t even imagine what it could do to a child. My father-in-law was lucky to have such a wonderful hospice team. Whatever pain medication he needed, the nurses got it for him.
Now on to those who bitch and moan about OxyContin being studied and made available to children – LOOK AT THAT PICTURE! THAT IS A CHILD SUFFERING AGONY that no one should ever have to suffer. People forget that children can become ill with painful diseases or injuries and need strong pain relief. OxyContin is one of two opioid pain medications that have been “officially” studied in sick children. That’s sad. So for all of those who are pitching a fit about OxyContin being made available for children, go talk to that little one’s parents and tell them their child doesn’t deserve pain relief.
#givepainavoice.
While a cure may not be possible, There can always be a healing.
Thank you for your amazing photo.
To think an innocent child would have to go through this kind of pain is devastating. My heart goes out to this family and all the other families going through this hell. How can researchers not make childhood cancer their highest priority is beyond me!
A picture is worth a million words,,,This is why we fight,,,,,,this is why there a difference between klondyns heroin and our MEDICINES,,that sicko Klondyn,,,,mary