Families in need receive gift of photos

A new not-for-profit organization is providing a special gift to families going through a difficult time in their lives.

Helping Hearts provides a free professional photo shoot for families with a disabled or extremely ill child. Each family is matched up with a photographer in their area and given an hour-long session, says Lana Hamilton, a professional photographer based in the Fort St. John and Charlie Lake area.

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The organization was started by two B.C. photographers in the spring of 2010 and in less than a year has grown to include 113 photographers from across Canada.

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In the short time the organization has been operating, it has done 15 photo shoots for families across Canada and currently has 15 in the works.

One of those families is in Dawson Creek. Hamilton says ’Tamaras Photography and Design did a photo shoot for a family with a child with congenital heart disease. The little boy had undergone two open heart surgeries before he was two years-old. The family also had a third child that went into respiratory distress after birth.

In the Peace River area, there are currently two photographers in Fort St. John, including Hamilton, and two in Dawson Creek.

Interested families are encouraged to contact the organization at info@helping-hearts.ca or visit the Helping Hearts website to book a free photography session. Furthermore, professional photographers willing to donate their time are encouraged to apply through the organization’s website.