Lauren Portrait Session

Lauren is a fellow photographer and the owner of Lauren Leonardo Photography, and I LOVE her work!! (Check out her instagram here!) I’ve admired her work for a while, and I’ve even collaborated a styled elopement session. It’s a dream to get the chance to work with someone who inspires you and your work (y’all photographers out there get what I mean). Lauren lived here on Oahu a few years longer than I have. We were both brought out here for the same reasons: our significant others are both in the Marine Corps. What are the odds, right?

Anyways, Lauren is just an all-around bubbly, sweet, kind, down-to-earth person and she’s like a little ray of sunshine and I can’t believe I am fortunate enough to know her and call her a friend. Although we had know each other for a short time, I was still very bummed out to hear she was going to be moving back to the east coast after her boyfriend, Tim, got back from his deployment. I was so happy for her when he came home and they got to spend some much needed time together, as well as doing a little bit more exploring of the neighboring islands before they left.

Unfortunately, Lauren’s health hadn’t been in the best shape for the past few months. Something was wrong, but the doctor’s kept brushing it off because of her young age. Well, after they got back from their mini adventure, they went to see the doctor’s one more time before the move. This time, they finally listened and ran some tests and scans. What they ended up finding was a large mass sitting in the center of her chest and on her esophagus and was closing almost 50% of her airway. They confirmed it was stage 1 of Non-Hoskins Lymphoma. They were able to start her treatment right away, which was great, but as the chemo started to shrink up her tumor, is caused a tear to form on her esophagus. The tear left her unable to swallow any liquids or eat any food, so they had to give her a feeding tube.

Lauren was finally getting the treatment she needed! But she wasn’t cleared for travel. This meant she couldn’t go with Tim, and he had no choice but to leave because #MilitaryLife. He was able to stay here, but he couldn’t go visit her in the hospital because of stupid COVID. But on the day he left, they were able to do a little set up so he could “see” her one more time before he had to leave. It was bittersweet, and I know it pained Tim to leave her, just as much as Lauren missed his calming presence.

I offered to have Lauren stay with us until she was cleared to travel. I know I’m not her boyfriend or her family, but it’s the least I could do for her as a friend. She stayed with us for almost 2 weeks. In that time, I brought Lauren to her follow up appointments, and helped her get adjusted to this new, temporary lifestyle as best as I could. Before all of this happened, Lauren and I had talked about doing a tub session together. I thought if we could do this, it might help to cheer her up a little bit. A few days prior to taking her pictures, Lauren noticed her hair was starting to fall out. She decided to get a jump on the chemo side affect, and asked me to. shave her head. We had tons of fun giving her different hairstyles, from mullets and Mohawks, to a classic fade with long bangs! Personally, I think she rocks the short hair look! Plus it looked beautiful with the lei po’o she got to wear for the pictures.

Shortly after we took her pictures, Lauren was finally given some good news, and she was cleared to travel home to her family on the east coast. Tim won’t be able to visit for a. while still, but they are one step closer to being reunited again! She will be in good hands while she stays with her family. They are Italian after all, ‘nuff said.

Through it all, I saw a strong, positive woman taking all of these changes and challenges in stride. She never let anything get to her and she never gave up. Even when people would give her bad news, she would always try to laugh and make a joke, making everyone laugh when they should be serious. Lauren is just such a radiant, beautiful person, and she inspires me in so many ways.