- …he wants to be a baseball player.
Allow me to explain.
My brother Corey had a brain aneurysm when he was four which left him with Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome, a type of epilepsy. At the time, Corey’s physicians presented us with a life expectancy of 18, if we were lucky. That was 26 years ago. Despite having multiple seizures almost daily, he turned 30 in December of 2015.
Four years ago, Corey and my mom moved in with me and my family. Our lifestyle and priorities changed almost overnight. Being a caretaker quickly eclipsed my photography career. I was busy trying to save everyone, my mom from addiction, my brother from a group home, and my niece and nephew from a foster home. We didn’t have a normal life, but we never really have.
Sadly, mom passed away two years ago. Since then I head up the fight for Corey’s care and quality of life. I promised my grandparents that Corey would always live with me, but I am human and human beings get tired. I had selfishly become discouraged, feeling my efforts were fruitless. I felt like I was drowning attempting to meet Corey’s enormous needs, along with those needs of my children and my husband, and the few of my own that are absolutely necessary. Plainly and simply, I felt I was failing at everything.
Then one evening out of the blue Corey asked me what he could be when he grew up. Before I could answer he said, “A baseball player!”, and then he had a seizure. I was heartbroken and crying, despair washing over me in waves. In the moments that followed as Corey began to recover God knocked on my selfish heart and told me to help Corey be whatever he wanted. And it came to me that as a professional photographer, I could help Corey be anything he wanted. I am so blessed. From now until I run out of ideas it is my goal to photograph him in as many different careers as possible.
Here are just a few careers he’s had so far…
Through all of this I have learned that our journey is less about seizures, medicare, and worrying if we’re enough and more about creating the reality of love and gratitude every day.
Thank you for your part in our story. If you’d like to keep up with Corey’s careers, join us on our Facebook page: When Corey Grows Up
