Meet Xander

I accepted Xander's Gold Hope Session as a "survivor". I had enjoyed reading about Xander and couldn't wait to meet him and his mother. I knew Xander had been through a great deal. He was diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma in 2011 as a kindergartener. He endured treatments and missed most of the spring of kindergarten and the fall of first grade. What a joy it has been for this family to have a "normal" second grade year. However, that joy has been short-lived. After shooting a few pics, I asked Xander's mom how long he had been blessed with a good report and she shared that they had just gotten word that his last tests had shown cancer- again. This means another battle for this young man who has already been through so much. Though this took my breath away, Xander and his mother were able to discuss it calmly and with positivity. They are planning on waiting until June to begin the next round of chemo so he can finish his second grade year uninterrupted. In my short time with Xander and his mom, it became clear that the remarkable boy I had read about was no exaggeration. Xander is a very creative and artistic young man. He got a camera for Christmas and brought it along to document his session. He loves movies, paintball, and is excited about being on the baseball team right now. Despite everything Xander has been through personally, he is very selfless and has a heart for helping others. He organized a gift giving program for kids who are in the hospital during the holiday season. In fact, when his birthday rolled around, he asked for support of this cause in lieu of gifts for him. I would say he's not the typical eight-year-old, right? Others have recognized Xander's generosity, too. He and his family have just recently returned from New York where he received an award for his charitable actions. In the short time we spent together, I was struck by Xander's spirit and his mother's grace. I wish you the best as you battle on, sweet boy. Images and write-up by: Wendy Wicker Phillips Photography