April > Breast Cancer

April is greater than breast cancer.

I thought long and hard about writing this blog post and even if I should write this post. Ultimately, I decided that I needed to write it and share part of April's story. I met April through an online parenting community seven years ago when she was pregnant with her youngest. She had just broken her foot and was in a boot. She was going to have to navigate postpartum care and newborn care with a broken foot. She also had two older children she needed to care for as well. During April's pregnancy she found out she had an autoimmune disease.

April and her family August 2020

Fast forward and April and I have remained in contact and I have rallied behind her and her children throughout the years. In fact, April hired me to take her oldest son's senior pictures this fall.

In June I received a text message from April stating that she went to her annual well-woman check-up and her provider found a lump in her breast. We talked through the possibilities and she remained positive. A week later she was forced with the truth. She had breast cancer.

April was scared. She was terrified of what lay ahead of her. She was scared that her children would grow up without a mother. She pushed through her fears though and started chemotherapy once a week for twelve weeks. April chose to shave her head when she started losing her hair. She had been growing her hair since Tysin was born and it was waist-length.

In November April received positive news--her scans came back clear! That's when we decided to do her celebratory photos. April is greater than cancer. She will have surgery in January and then follow up with radiation to ensure the cancer does not return.

April is so incredibly strong in all aspects of her life. The world has not been kind to her. She has struggled with addiction her entire life. She completed two years of in-patient treatment, the longest continuous amount of sobriety she has had in her adult-life, but she fell off the wagon after a surgery last year. She became hooked on the prescription pain killers and then sought out heroin. I received a middle of the night text message from April during this time and encouraged her to seek help. She immediately went back to House of Mercy after a week of street drugs to try and regain her life. She is now six months clean and has just completed outpatient treatment. Because of April's past addictions, she will not be taking any prescription pain medication after her January surgery.

Despite all that has happened to April, she tries to remain positive. She tries to stay present in the day. She says that some days she has to take it one minute at a time. She also thinks of her three children here on earth that need her. April continues to be active in the recovery community and has offered support for women that are wanting to obtain and maintain sobriety.

April, I am so thankful for your friendship. Thank you for trusting me to take these photos and allowing me to share your story. You are an inspiration to others. I am proud of you. You are so much more than breast cancer and addiction. You are April and you are full of light. Shine on, Beautiful.

September 2022 update: April's June 2022 scans showed that the cancer was present in her brain. April went through more rounds of chemotherapy and radiation. She also began having seizures, so her driver's license was suspended. April recently received news that her brain cancer has diminished but the cancer has metastasized and is present in her bones. April is stage 4 terminal. The ongoing medication that April is on is making her very sick and she has been dealing with daily headaches and body aches for weeks. This has caused April's mental health to spiral. She sought mental health treatment and she is currently safe. The old April would have relapsed then thought about the consequences, but 2022 April made a snap judgment and immediately sought help. I am so proud of her for reaching out. April continues to be greater than cancer/addiction/mental illness. Send good vibes April's way because her war isn't over.