Everyday it seems like you hear another friend / relative / acquaintance is diagnosed with cancer. An every time you hear it you put yourself in that persons shoes and wonder……how would I cope?

Well last year I found out that one of the “barebonefamily”  had been going through a struggle. I connected so much with this story. Justine and Matt  { previous wedding clients } had just had a baby…..and that baby was now being treated for cancer. Not only did my heart go out to them but I wanted to give them a hug! Because I know as a first time parent that is hard at the best of times…….but adding cancer to the equation….I have no words.

I won’t do justice to the story……so, in Justine’s words:

Our cancer journey started like so many others, with Margot being sent to the ER due her being unwell. After 3 very hard and stressful weeks and multiple tests, she was diagnosed with a very large (grapefruit size) malignant germ cell tumour in her abdomen, the medical term is called a sacrococcygeal teratoma.

We were transferred to McMaster Kids initially from Grand River Hospital and then finally transferred to Sick Kids in Toronto. While at Sick Kids, Margot spent many days under constant observation until they decided surgery was the best option. Margot underwent a very long 10+hour surgery that removed the entire tumour. Mat and I call refer to it as the longest day of our lives. The pathology report came back a week later and it turns out that the tumor was malignant and she immediately started the first of four rounds of intense chemotherapy. She started losing her hair after the first round of chemo and my bestfriend and Margot’s godmother Rachel and I shaved the rest of it off in the bathtub at the hospital during round 2 of chemo.

Margot endured so much through all the tests, scans, pokes, doctor’s and around the clock nurses visits. My husband and I realized that she would often calm down during procedures if we sang to her, and Baby Beluga was her favourite song. Throughout this entire ordeal, I can’t count the number of times we sang that song to her. We even learned to play it on a small purple ukelele. Her care team at Sick Kids would recognize our family by all the off-key singing we would do to help her through her procedures and some would often hum along while checking her temperature or changing her Picc line dressing.

We are starting to return to a new normal, she finished chemotherapy in November and we are finally able to take her to play groups, swimming and music classes.  Over the past several months since we’ve finished Margot’s treatments she has defied all expectations. We were cautioned that her development may be slowed somewhat by both the treatments themselves, and the fact that she was laid up for so long while all of her peers were busy developing. As it turns out, these worries seem to have been unfounded. Margot’s development is on-track, she’s walking and climbing into new messes every day. 

This last images may be my favorite image of all time! Pure joy.

Justine and Matt you two are the strongest people I know……your family is a joy to be around. Thank you for letting me capture your love for each other.

Their session was one of my first at the barebonestudio this year. And we are happy to say that we will be donating one “barebonehug” session to families living with cancer every month until there is a cure. So if you know someone who could benefit from just having some fun and capturing some great images for their family. Send them our info.

e: info@barebonephoto.com

t: 519.841.7840

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Posted In: barebonefamily, barebonehug, bareboneportraits.

5 Responses to “Margot ~ barebonehug”

1. Viv Trudel (granny) says:

   07.05.2012 at 6:56 am

   Very emotional for me!! Love them all very much….

   Reply
2. Brenda Robitaille says:

   07.04.2012 at 7:25 pm

   Our thoughts were with you always through that whole experience. My Dad is also going through cancer and just finished his chemo. They are going on holidays tomorrow for the summer and my thoughts and prayers are he will have good news when they return. My sister in law started her chemo as well a few weeks before my Dad and I think about her often. She stays positive all the time and I believe that helps more than people realize. Margot is a BEAUTIFUL little girl and will do fine in her life with the parents she has and the rest of her family and friends. God Bless her that it’s over for her and she won’t have to remember the bad times only the good.

   Brenda

   Reply
3. Ann Simpson says:

   07.04.2012 at 2:26 pm

   What a terrific series of photos and a wonderfully written journal. Justine, Matt and Margot – the three of you are awesome people! Thank you to barebonephoto for posting this and for the very generous and kind photo offer.

   Reply
4. Bob Trudel (pepere) says:

   07.04.2012 at 8:42 am

   Excellent.

   Reply
5. Kerri says:

   07.03.2012 at 8:05 pm

   Awesome. Love this session. How wonderful that Margot is better, she is too cute.

   Reply