max s. gerber(the latest shot)

every once in a while i get an email or a letter from a random stranger that just floors me. i got an email like that yesterday, from a woman named tara who is the mother of a 7 year old boy with hypoplastic left heart syndrome. she was nice enough to give me permission to reprint it here:

————

From: tara@————-
Subject: My Heart vs. The Real World…
Date: September 4, 2008 10:36:01 AM PDT
To: max@msgphoto.com

Hello Max,
I am a mom of a 7 year old boy, Theo, with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome.

I bought your book for us to look at and read, and I just feel compelled to write and tell you what a difference it is making in our lives.

Every night, we read books together. Theo picks one, and his little brother
Tommy picks one. Every single night since we have owned your book, it is the
one which Theo picks. The first night, he lay on his bed and looked through
every single page. Now, he picks one chapter a night. We have read and reread
the chapters. My kids know the names of every child in the book. Theo LOVES
the pictures, and loves hearing about what older children do. He is absolutely
enthralled. Admittedly, I pick and choose which text to read, since some of it
is a little advanced for the little people.

However, last night I took the book into my room and read it after we had read the “Grant” chapter for the fifth time in a row. I read the whole thing, cover to cover, and ended up actually crying. With real tears. Going through all
that we have been through I think that we sometimes become hardened, and it meant a great deal for me to feel that emotion. Not only sadness, but awe, and amazement, and beauty. It is an amazing book.

One thing which stood out to us was the child whose brother had Leukemia. Theo, in addition to having HLHS, had cancer when he was two. My children said, “look, his brother’s a baldie!”. I told them that his brother had cancer, and Theo said, “wow, they have been through a lot just like us.” Not in a pitying
way, but in an admirable, camaraderie-filled, way. You presented that so
beautifully, and in such an understated-yet-powerful manner. Touching.

You did a wonderful job, and it is much appreciated. Just wanted to let you
know.

Thank you.

Tara

————

and as i post this it occurs to me that today is september 5th. this means that i took the very first picture for the hearts book on this very day, nine years ago. (of grant, at camp del corazon) on the way back from catalina island our boat had engine troubled and turned back. i was stranded at an abandoned campground with a bunch of doctors and donors (and one photographer and photo assistant who i think were there from family circle magazine or something along those lines). anyway, in being stranded i missed aaron’s birthday party. so in addition let me also add, happy birthday aaron.