Oct 7, 2008 10:06 pm US/Eastern
Photography Empowers Kids To Cope With Cancer
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
When Gayle Snider of Boston was diagnosed with breast cancer 10 years ago, her first call wasn't to her husband.
"My first call was to my son's pediatrician," she said. "I asked him what to say."
A cancer diagnosis is tough for anyone, but for a parent, you have other people to worry about, others to take care of, not just yourself.
The PACT program,
Parenting At a Challenging Time, from Massachusetts General Hospital has a new way for families to deal with the stress of cancer treatments: shoot it with a camera.
"We get to express ourselves, as far as photography," said Snider's 16-year-old son, Stephen.
As part of the "
Project Tomorrow" program, a professional photographer gave Stephen and eight other children of cancer patients a camera, along with some pointers. The children were to take a portrait of their parent and show others how they see him or her.
One child shot his father playing the tuba and another showed her mother being showered with kisses by her siblings. Stephen caught a candid shot of his mom dressed for a summer party.
"Well, I think she's an exceptional mom. She's different from every other mom."
The program is the brainchild of
Dr. Paula Rauch of the MGH Cancer Center. She teamed up with professional
photographer Paul Denckla. The children and parents also wrote essays about themselves and how cancer has affected them. Dr. Rauch says it's good medicine.
"I think this is good medicine for all of us, taking time to celebrate relationships and think about what matters most to you is good medicine," Rauch said.
As she looks at the portrait her son took of her, Gayle Snider describes the woman she sees.
"A strong courageous woman with a lot of hope, a lot of life, and a lot of love."
The portraits are on display at
Boston Children's Museum through Nov. 5.
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