A pair of philanthropic photographers are starting a new foundation to provide free professional-quality photos to families of children with serious illnesses and life-altering disabilities.
The Tiny Light Foundation matches families with professional photographers who are willing to donate their time and shoot photos at a family's home. The foundation is the brainchild of former Cardiff resident Melissa DePape, 32, now a Chilliwack, B.C.-based photographer.
DePape got the idea in the fall after doing a shoot for a very busy U.S.-based group called the Littlest Hero Project.
"I thought it would be nice to find something that was focused just on Canada so we could get in more kids in a faster amount of time," DePape said.
DePape has experienced the ups and downs of raising a sick baby herself. Her two-year-old daughter has Down Syndrome and required open-heart surgery as an infant.
"When you're struggling and dealing with so many different things, [getting pictures taken] is honestly one of the last things you think about," she said. "So we hope to be able to give a family one more memory."
The foundation's website, www.thetinylight.com, posts its families' stories and photographs in the hope of providing support to other families going through difficult situations. The website allows families to email their stories for consideration in the program. Each is judged on its own merits, said DePape, whose daughter was the first "tiny light."
Morinville connection
When she first got the idea to form the foundation, DePape recruited two friends who live in Morinville — photographer Billie Depatie and mother Brittany Schaefer. Both jumped at the chance to be involved.
Schaefer's three-year-old daughter Cheyenne was born four weeks early and needed surgery at 15 months to repair a hole in her heart. Depatie visited the Schaefer home just before Christmas.
"The photos just represent to us what our child has been through, where we are today and where we're going to be in our future," Schaefer said. "It was a long struggle and stressful and heart-wrenching time when she was first born."
"This little foundation, it just gives you peace of mind that other people out there, they care," she said. "These women are giving, giving, giving. They're trying to better the world one picture at a time."
DePape and Depatie expect the foundation to officially become a non-profit organization early this year. Their hope is to develop a roster of photographers all across Canada. They're already getting a steady stream of applications and so far it appears the main motivator is philanthropy and not marketing, Depatie said.
"Yes, this foundation is probably going to bring you some clients if they like what you've done, but that's not the main reason at all for it," Depatie said. "The Tiny Light is not for you to necessarily gain clients; it's for the families and the children."
DePape is pleased with the response the foundation is getting while still in its infancy.
"The stories are just pouring in right now and so are photographers wanting to help," she said. "We're just starting but it's amazing how it's spreading."
