Shoot for Charity

Many of you may know that our tiny daughter Lyra was born with secondary congenital glaucoma. Glaucoma is pretty serious in children. It’s not the same run-of-the-mill laser fix as it is in adults. It's complicated. And it holds the real likeihood of robing young ones of the chance to witness the beauty in the physical world.

The time around her diagnosis and initial treatment was this strange phantasmagoria of intense heartache and deep gratitude. I was balanced on this poignant knife edge: deep sorrow for all my girl might miss; and then on the other intense gratefulness for all the opportunities we had. A burst of cherry blossoms, falling like snow, and sorrow would well in my chest. The arm of a stranger, reaching to help me carry our stroller down the subway stairs, and the the profound understanding that there is no greater beauty than that what is found by loving one another.

One narrative that kept replaying in my mind was the imagined story of my daughter had she been born to a different family with fewer means in a different country without access to excellent medical care. We could give our daughter the very best care available. She is being seen by some of the leading specialists in her disease. And even if all medical interventions fail, she’ll have every opportunity available to her. But what about a child born in rural China? This condition would almost certainly spell blindness and a life of restriction and limitation.

Every year, around my birthday I donate my time and my work to charity. This year, I’m supporting Orbis, an origination that works to treat preventable blindness caused by conditions such as my daughter’s in some of the poorest regions of the world. Orbis brings a flying hospital to those in need, and perform sight-saving surgeries for children who would otherwise certainly go blind. 

I’m offering family sessions in exchange for a donation to Orbis. Make a donation in lieu of my session fee, I suggest 3000 RMB, but I’ll happily accept any generous donation. And we’ll create a beautiful gallery of images of you and your family. I have four sessions available between now and the end of September. Don't wait!

Get in touch. You can contact me here, my email is ericaknecht@gmail.com. Or on WeChat at erica_knecht.