It was a special day for our family on Sunday. We did our first Susan G. Koman walk together to celebrate Sara as she is cancer free now for two years. Even though the cancer is gone her road to recovery is still well traveled. Sara wants to share her story saying “If putting myself and my story out there motivates or encourages just one person it will be worth it.”

“Being diagnosed with cancer comes with many struggles, mentally and physically everyday. The thoughts of cancer coming back are always in my mind. It’s hard to shake this thinking and not get lost in a spiral of negative thoughts. I struggle with my body image. The scars are hard to look at sometimes. What I have had to endure these past few years has made me appreciate my life so much more. I am stronger than I thought I was and I am thankful for everything I have been blessed with. My husband, my children, and my family. I would do anything for them.”

Sara’s story actually started with her husband Cris. He was diagnosed with bile duct cancer in early 2019 and underwent major surgery on April 1st of 2019. At the time of his surgery they did not know what his future, their future as a family would hold. Cris was in his mid 30’s and very athletic so he had his age and good health on his side. Facing the unknown is always extremely difficult. They didn’t know for sure if it had spread or if the surgery itself would effect his every day life. The surgery was successful but he was still facing six months of powerful chemotherapy. They were living one day at a time through some extremely hard times. Going through chemo, raising two little boys and trying to keep a bit of normalcy, and then life was about to throw them another curve ball.

” I got the call on Friday August 23, 2019.” Only three months into her husbands chemotherapy. The breast cancer diagnosis was confirmed. Earlier in the year Sara had done a self breast exam and felt a lump. After a mammogram and a biopsy, it was confirmed. “The first thing that I thought of when they said it was cancer was my children. I felt angry and heart broken. They didn’t deserve to have both parents sick at the same time.” Her husband was just halfway through his chemo and now she would not only have to continue to stay strong for him but also make some very difficult decisions about her future.

With her diagnosis a double mastectomy was the best decision. After her surgery and additional testing she was told the cancer was contained. She had caught it in time. She and Cris can now heal together and try to recover from this whirlwind that swept through their family. Trying to accept the fact they will probably never be able to have any more children was also difficult for Sara to hear. They continued to heal and lived their life one day at a time, Brunson style. Their new normal.

” I chose to do this photoshoot with Cris because not only did we fight our own cancer battles but we fought them together. This has made us stronger as a couple and as a family. I wanted to document this time in our lives.”

As a photographer I have to say this was the most powerful shoot I have ever done. So intimate and so vulnerable, it was very moving. I am praying that when Sara looks at these images it will be a part of her healing process. Knowing she is more than the scars that have been left behind from a time in her life that she so graciously defeated. This shoot was also to celebrate that they defied the odds. With every obstacle that had been thrown at them, this was also a maternity shoot. Not just one but two little blessings were about to join the family.

Staying strong and fighting for what she loves is what got her to where she is today. Living her best life as a boy mom of 4. #blessed #Brunson Strong