...ronan...

Ronan Godfrey, 2, plays with a balloon in his living room on Tuesday, March 1, 2011 in Fontana, Ca. Ronan was recently diagnosed with a rare form of aplastic anemia and is in need of a bone marrow transplant. On March 5, Ronan's 3rd birthday, the City of Hope will host a bone marrow drive in Rancho Cucamonga. A second drive will be held on Sunday at the United Church of Christ in Redlands, where the Godfrey's are members.


while on assignment last tuesday, rachel godfrey opened her front door when, to my surprise, i walked right into ronan's open arms. without even a "hello," this little boy had welcomed me into his life in an intimate way. my heart became a puddle on the floor. for the next hour we proceeded to play legos, drive around in his little tricycle and share chocolates as i sporadically photographed him and his mother.

ronan is a kind, smart, witty and adventurous little man. as time goes on and the search for a bone marrow match continues, i'll be keeping up with the godfrey family, and possibly improving my lego-building skills as well. my ultimate hope is to see ronan through a successful recovery and complete healing. if you're the praying type, please add my new friend to your list. it's my belief that this world will be a better place with him in it.

also, if you aren't local or able to attend one of the drives, you can visit www.joinmarrow.org and they will send a swab kit to your home. enter the promo code: Hope4Ronan