For the past few weeks, Humans of New York, the globally popular photo blog featuring street portraits and interviews collected on the streets of New York, has turned its focus on children with cancer. Brandon Stanton, the photographer behind HONY, has been gathering stories and images from the Pediatrics Department of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center – and the stories are heartbreaking. Turning the camera on the children at the hospital, their families and medical teams, the photos explore gut-wrenching stories of loss, hope and survival.
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Stanton calls the interviews “war stories,” and explains on his Facebook page: “The treatment of cancer can be nearly as violent as the condition itself, and even the doctors will frame their efforts in terms of warfare.” He continues to explain that what makes this war “uniquely tragic,” is that the “battlefield is the body of a child.”
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It’s the glimmers of hope that shine through even in the darkest moments that are really showcased in this series. For example, we meet Sebastian, a young boy diagnosed with cancer when he was twenty months old but who still manages to reassure his tormented mother through his fits of pain. He tells his shocked mother, “I’m so happy, Mommy.” As she says she wondered how that could be possible through so much pain, the boy explained, “Because I love you so much.”
We also hear from the doctors, included including one who’s been working to find a cure for a brain tumor called DIPG that kills 100% of the children who have it. He says, “I didn’t get into neurosurgery to watch kids die. I chose this job to heal people.”
To see more of the series visit Humans of New York on the website, Facebook or Instagram.
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There is still time to donate a fundraiser to help fight pediatric cancer at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Your donations will fund the science that saves the lives of children. This includes the research of Dr. Souwedaine, whose story is being told this evening. Over 47,000 people have donated and $1.7 million has been raised so far. It would be amazing if we could reach $2,000,000 by the end of the series. Even if it’s a small amount, please consider donating: http://bit.ly/1TpFcdy
