I become attached to stories involving the resilience and perseverance of the body and spirit alike. While studying Social Work, I was gifted with the opportunity to work at St. Louis Children’s Hospital for youth living with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) in both a clinical and artistic capacity. After a bustling year of facilitating mentoring and education programs to expand SCD awareness and community support, the humid Missourian summers opened me to Camp Crescent, a program designed to care for and empower children living with SCD. 

With my camera in hand, I chased these magnetic souls through an energetic week of art, swimming, fishing, and pajama parties while trying to navigate the vibrant frequencies of children being away from home for the first time. Ultimately, I got to witness and capture the precious emergence of perfectly whole and excitable kids - living with chronic illness - fiercely determined to have the best summer of their lives. 

Camp Crescent ignited the native electricity in these beings, reminding them that they too can play freely in their bodies with their comrades when immersed in safety, community, and nature. Above all, they would become acquainted with the radical idea that they are not defined by their disease. Rather, they are seen wholeheartedly for their irrepressible desire for love, play, and companionship. And, unlike the illness that takes up residency in their bodies, it is their magical spirits that remain eternally contagious. 

Are you looking for a trauma-informed photographer for a magnificent group of humans who have overcome adversity? Let’s talk!

© Just Nee Photography

Photos by Neely Benn

Edited by Yesica Barrera