My name is Jonathan Smith, and this is my beautiful daughter, Savannah.
I’ve been blessed by her in more ways than anyone could ever know. She makes me the Father that I am, she made me a dad. She makes me stronger, by watching all that she endures daily because of her health. You see, she suffers from Myasthenia Gravis, a neuromuscular disease, as well as Juvenile Arthritis. Most people see the names of her illnesses but aren’t aware at how serious they are and that in an instant I could loose my daughter. All it takes is one wrong breathe, over excretion, choking, a simple cold or an infection and our lives would be forever changed.
She smiles and shines bright to remind me that life, despite all the ups and downs can be wonderful. She makes mine wonderful. She is my hero who likes rock and roll, art, reading and animals. She brings the smile to my face that you see in the photo. We make each each other laugh. She’s just as much my bright spot as I am hers. When she’s down and out, she knows she can always count on me to make her smile, no matter how much it embarrasses her. That’s what dads are for. I may not be able to take all of her troubles away, but I can help her smile through the rainy days until the sun shines again.
I am so glad that Little Light Of Mine was able to capture our smiles. Our smiles tell stories. Stories of sad days turned sunny, smiles that in my heart will last forever. The smiles are few and far between when she’s having bad days. Therefore each one I cherish, like I might not see it again. Thanks to LLOM I will always have these smiles to look at, and we can recall the laughter that day held for us. Without them, I know we could have never had these memories captured. Medical bills, medicines, all the things that come with having a chronically ill child add up. We have to make choices on what we want, and what we need. Family photos have always been a want and never in the budget. It’s never been in our reach. We are so grateful that we were given the opportunity, through one persons vision to capture our smiles.
Photos by volunteer photographer Christina Barrett of Luxe Light Photography