National Photographic Portrait Prize 2013 Finalist
Katie is a 21-year-old single mother to Jaylen. Jaylen has a condition called Gastroschisis, a deformity that starts in the womb and affects the digestive system of the child. Although rare, the condition is usually treatable with major surgery in the first few weeks of a child's life. Jaylen had the most extreme case of the disease the hospital has ever encountered. As a result he spent his entire first 19 months of life in the hospital. At this point, his long term prognosis is unknown. Katie spends every day with him, mothering him from next to his hospital bed.