You Can Cure Cancer with Your Craft

Ashley and her mom Christy. Photo by Carla Lynn.

Do you ever have that feeling that you want to do more with your filmmaking or photography? Not necessarily more work or make more money, but do more important things with your craft. How would you like to cure cancer? Carla Lynn thinks you can. And I believe her.

If you’ve been following my blog recently, you’ll remember Carla as the photographer who inspired hundreds of photographers at Pictage’s PartnerCon last November with her touching story about her relationship with Ashley. Ashley is a senior girl in high school battling stage 4 Ewing’s Sarcoma Cancer. After showing this film about Carla and Ashley at PartnerCon, Carla was approached by Ralph Alswang, a former White House doc photographer who was a PartnerCon speaker. Ralph asked Carla, “Okay. Now what are you going to do for Ashley?” Carla took up that challenge. And how.

RALLYING THE TROOPS

She rallied her local Nashville, TN area photogs to donate their time and talent to shoot family portraits. She called it the Hope, Faith and Photos for A Cure. Admission  would be $10 at the door for a 10-15 minute photo session. Families will order their prints online from Pictage who is donating all the proceeds from those sales to Ashley’s medical fund. She got a few dozen vendors and other photogs to donate fine art prints, gift baskets, and other great gifts for a silent auction. She found an amazing space at Marathon Village who gave it to her at an awesome rate. Then she sent an email out to everyone she knew. The email reach grew and grew. It was forwarded to school administrators who sent it out. The email went around to so many people, it actually circled back around to Carla. One had the suspicious feeling that there were other forces at work here.

On Sunday, February 27, about 140 families came out. Over 30 volunteers were on site shooting, taking tickets, and serving food. Almost $3,000 was raised from the admission and silent auction alone. Who knows how much more will be raised when families start to purchase their prints.

I had the honor to film the event. I told Carla afterward that God doesn’t inspire one to do an event like this only once!

This could be the beginning of the cure for cancer. Really.  If not a literal cure, an emotional and spiritual one for those stricken with it. I have no doubt the love that Ashley felt that day is what kept her strong for over four hours!

So, if you’ve ever wondered if you could actually make a real, objective, discernible difference with your craft, wonder no more. You can!

Make a donation to help Ashley’s family take care of mounting medical bills:
First Tennessee Bank
Attn: Nathan Harding / Ashley Scott Benefit Account
471 Sam Ridley Parkway West
Smyrna, TN 37167

If you can’t see this video in your RSS feed or reader, click here.