See those beautiful girls up there? They belong to my friend Julie.
On the morning of December 26th, Julie's younger daughter (who is also my son Gray's classmate) found her mom unresponsive with no pulse.
My vibrant 30-something, yoga-loving, vegetarian, volunteering, beautiful friend was in cardiac arrest. To put it bluntly: she died.
It took 45 minutes for the paramedics to bring her back, and at first no one, including the medical staff, thought she'd make it. I mean, how do you bounce back from something like that?
And yet, she did. Only Julie could pull off such a feat. I am convinced that the love and prayers of her friends and family (and many strangers) combined with Julie's amazing spirit and will are the only reasons she is still here.
Here is where this post comes in. In an effort to help Julie's family (she won't be working for awhile, and much to her dismay, she's not allowed to drive for 4 months) with their medical bills, a site has been set up for donations. Not so luckily for Julie, her hospital stay at Duke spanned two calendar years which means that she has to meet her deductible for each year before her insurance kicks in.
For anyone donating $50 or more to Julie, I am donating a mini-session to YOU. These mini's will take place outside at my studio (downtown Durham, NC) between January and May 2010. (Instead of doing everything in one day, I will set these up like regular sessions so you aren't pigeonholed into one date that may or may not work for you.) If 4 or more friends donate together, I will come to you (anywhere in the Triangle) and do back-to-back mini sessions at a location of your choice. Mini sessions are about 15-20 minutes long, and you will see 10-15 proofs in an online web gallery. They are best suited for children and babies who are able to sit unassisted, and parents are always welcome to hop into a few pictures. Due to time limitations, mini's are not suitable for extended-family sessions. Prints are purchased separately. (Oh, and if you don't have kids, but would like pictures of you with your significant other, or a portrait of your pet - that is great, too!)
You can donate here. Once you've donated, please email me (gwmathison at gmail.com) with a copy of the receipt you get back from Paypal and we can set up your session.
http://www.relief4julie.webs.com/
From the bottom of my heart, I thank anyone who can donate (no matter how small) to Julie. I truly would not be where I am in my business without her being my biggest cheerleader back in 2003.
xoxo,
gretchen
On the morning of December 26th, Julie's younger daughter (who is also my son Gray's classmate) found her mom unresponsive with no pulse.
My vibrant 30-something, yoga-loving, vegetarian, volunteering, beautiful friend was in cardiac arrest. To put it bluntly: she died.
It took 45 minutes for the paramedics to bring her back, and at first no one, including the medical staff, thought she'd make it. I mean, how do you bounce back from something like that?
And yet, she did. Only Julie could pull off such a feat. I am convinced that the love and prayers of her friends and family (and many strangers) combined with Julie's amazing spirit and will are the only reasons she is still here.
Here is where this post comes in. In an effort to help Julie's family (she won't be working for awhile, and much to her dismay, she's not allowed to drive for 4 months) with their medical bills, a site has been set up for donations. Not so luckily for Julie, her hospital stay at Duke spanned two calendar years which means that she has to meet her deductible for each year before her insurance kicks in.
For anyone donating $50 or more to Julie, I am donating a mini-session to YOU. These mini's will take place outside at my studio (downtown Durham, NC) between January and May 2010. (Instead of doing everything in one day, I will set these up like regular sessions so you aren't pigeonholed into one date that may or may not work for you.) If 4 or more friends donate together, I will come to you (anywhere in the Triangle) and do back-to-back mini sessions at a location of your choice. Mini sessions are about 15-20 minutes long, and you will see 10-15 proofs in an online web gallery. They are best suited for children and babies who are able to sit unassisted, and parents are always welcome to hop into a few pictures. Due to time limitations, mini's are not suitable for extended-family sessions. Prints are purchased separately. (Oh, and if you don't have kids, but would like pictures of you with your significant other, or a portrait of your pet - that is great, too!)
You can donate here. Once you've donated, please email me (gwmathison at gmail.com) with a copy of the receipt you get back from Paypal and we can set up your session.
http://www.relief4julie.webs.com/
From the bottom of my heart, I thank anyone who can donate (no matter how small) to Julie. I truly would not be where I am in my business without her being my biggest cheerleader back in 2003.
xoxo,
gretchen
