As some of you may already know, my child was born on April 9th 2013 with a condition called gastroschisis. In short gastroschisis is a condition that occurs in utero, the baby’s tummy does not fully develop causing a small or large opening and allowing the baby’s intestines or bowel (sometimes more) to be outside of his/her tummy. These babies are usually born early and all of them will have one surgery to place things back inside of their tummies and close the opening…some kiddos have had as many as 7 surgeries in their first two years of life.

I found out my child would have this condition when I was 21 weeks pregnant and I began planning a big charity and awareness project to help take my mind off of all of the worries that come with the territory and bring joy to other children’s lives.

I have been working on creating a photo book and calendars comprised of whimsical and inspirational photos of babies and kiddos whom have all been born with this condition. My hope is that these photos will help raise awareness and create inspiration in others. The majority of the proceeds will be donated to Avery’s Angels Gastroschisis Foundation for helping families in need and finding a cause.

I have big plans for these photo sessions, that’s right not one of these sessions is going to be a “normal” no fun session that requires a bunch of stiff and boring posing for the camera. These sessions are created first with the child in mind and are meant to be fun and creative. Think lots of balloons, bubbles, whimsical outdoor set-ups and cute props for boys and girls. In the future, with donations, I hope to be able to make these sessions a bit more extravagant and provide the child with their dream photography session, for example, take the child to a ranch with horses to photograph or another place they have always wanted to go. For now these photography sessions will be held in Colorado. In the late summer they will be held in Washington State in and around the Seattle area.

If you currently reside in Colorado and would like to schedule a free photo session for your child please contact Amanda Glisson Photography via e-mail glissonamanda@gmail.com to schedule your session for late spring/early summer of 2013. If you currently reside in Washington state and would like to schedule a free session for your baby or child in or around the Seattle area after June of 2013 please contact me via e-mail glissonamanda@gmail.com. Thank you and warm wishes from Amanda.

Amanda Glisson Photography is an award winning natural light and lifestyle photographer offering quality and boutique style photography in Colorado and Washington state. Amanda Glisson focuses on capturing in her portraits, simple beauty, unforgettable people, and extraordinary images.