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Cause: Flashes of Hope
Beachwood, OH--A picture is worth a thousand words, but a Flashes of Hope picture is worth much more than that. Parents and founders of Flashes of Hope (FOH), Allison and Kip Clarke, know firsthand what it is like to be in a hospital with a child being treated for cancer--their son Quinn was treated for and survived cancer when he was just 20 months old. When a family the Clarkes had befriended at the hospital lost their son to cancer, Allison wondered if the family had a portrait of him. When the family realized they did not have a picture of their son who had bravely fought cancer, Allison, a former model, knew she had to do something.
Very soon after, Allison organized a free photo shoot for patients at a children's hospital in Ohio. After seeing the children's smiles from having a stylist "make them up" and a professional picture taken, Allison started Flashes of Hope. She says the portraits are meaningful to families on several levels. For children who survive, it's important for them to have an image of themselves that is strong and beautiful--a photograph that doesn't make them look sick and weak. For the families who lose a child, the value of the portrait is immeasurable. The photographs capture the spirit of their child in a positive, dignified, and hopeful way.
The organization is now photographing children with cancer across the country. In 2007, FOH photographed more than 1,700 children, and it expects to photograph double that in 2008. FOH has a long-term goal of photographing every single child diagnosed with cancer so their families can have a beautiful portrait of their brave child.
If you would like to make a donation to help this dream become a reality, please visit http://flashesofhope.org
--Story submitted by Sondra Miller
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