Day 346/365

     I did shoot sports Thursday night/day 346, but not before shooting Jessica Schwerin's return to school after finishing her home rest following her kidney transplant surgery. I've loved covering this story, but it was nice to bring some finality to it in wrapping it up. She's an awesome kid, and to see how great she's doing and how the community has come to support both her and her donor Brian Martindale has been a great thing to witness.

Day 340/365

     Friday/day 340 had me covering a benefit for Brian Martindale, 10-year-old Jessica Schwerin's kidney donor who's fallen on hard times recently both medically and financially. Luckily he has a great support network of friends, family, and people who've taken note of what he did for Jessica, and thanks to donations he'll be able to keep things going a bit longer. 

Day 330/365

     My one non-sports-related assignment so far this week was a sad one. Brian Martindale, who donated a kidney to 10 year-old Jessica Schwerin, is facing some serious financial trouble after having medical complications following the transplant surgery almost a month ago. I went with a reporter to take Brian's picture while he was being interviewed, and to see how broken and ashamed he was was heartbreaking. A benefit is being planned for Brian, and locals are really stepping up to donate, so hopefully things will turnaround for him. I can't imagine anyone who deserves it more than him.

Day 305/365

     Yesterday/day 305 10 year-old Jessica Schwerin got to come home to Bay City, exactly one week after having her kidney transplant operation down in Ann Arbor. She and her mother were driven back in the limo again, and before going home they stopped in to see Jessica's kidney donor, local business owner Brian Martindale. It was a fun reunion to witness, (Jessica was mostly asleep when Brian visited her in her recovery room when they were both still down in Ann Arbor last Sunday). I've loved being able to be a part of this story from the beginning up until now, and I'm so glad these two are both recovering well and rather quickly. They both deserve it. If you'd like to see more photos and articles written on Jessica's homecoming, you can find a few with links to others on MLive here.

Day 300/365

     Yesterday/day 300 was a good one. I went back down to Ann Arbor and got to see how Jessica and her donor Brian were doing. Brian said he was almost back to 100%, just moving a bit slow and taking it easy for the most part. Jessica was asleep for almost the entire time I was there, which is understandable given everything she's been through these past few days. It was pretty easy to sense how different the mood was with her family though; her mother Stacey was so much more relieved and just so happy. She stopped herself from hugging Brian when he first walked in because she didn't trust herself not to hug him too tight and hurt him. It was a great moment to witness all the same. I got to write the update that went with the other photos I took, and if you like you can find them on MLive here. 

Day 298/365

     My boss was nice enough to put me on the night shift today since I got back to my apartment extremely late last night after spending time with Jessica in her hotel room in Ann Arbor. I was assigned to cover a boys basketball game. I tend to make a point of showing up early so I make sure I get team rosters and get a decent spot to start shooting from. When I got to tonight's location, the girls varsity game was still going, and the sports reporter that was covering both games asked me if I could get a few quick pictures of the girls game since it was turning out to be a pretty big upset. 

     

     There was some decent playing in both games, but after covering last Friday's craziness, (day 291), every other matchup just pales in comparison.

Day 297/365

     I got to hang with my favorite ten year-old today. As I mentioned a few days/posts ago, there have been some major developments in Jessica Schwerin's story. Jessica, who was diagnosed with kidney failure mid-2012, is getting a transplant! She's spending tonight down in Ann Arbor before having her operation tomorrow morning. A local business owner heard her story and lent her, her mother, and her donor his limo to be taken down to the hospital in. We covered her sendoff, and her arrival at the hospital today. I took quite a few pictures of her, but this one was by far my favorite. She was saying goodbye to her dog, and you all know how I can't resist a dog photo op.

    What gets me the most, is that the man who's donating his kidney to Jessica decided to do so after seeing her story in the Bay City Times, which I photographed. It's incredibly humbling to know that in some small way you can help someone, and I can't think of any girl who deserves it more than Jessica. Today was one of those days that reminded me how much I love my job, which I don't often forget, but still; I. love. my. life.

     To see the article/more photos on her limo send off, you can find them on MLive here, and to see photos from her first night in the hospital, with a short copy block written by yours truly, you can find that here.

Day 295/365

     Tuesday's/day 295's photo isn't much to look at, but it certainly carries a lot of meaning. If you remember me talking about Jessica, the 10 year-old Bay City girl in need of a kidney transplant, then this sign will make more sense, (she was in my posts for days 186 and 254). Jessica was originally brought to MLive's/the Bay City Times' attention when her mother, Stacey, was seen standing on the corner of a major intersection in Bay City asking passing drivers to be organ donors, as her daughter had been diagnosed with kidney failure. This is that sign. I'll be covering some major developments in Jessica's story starting tomorrow/Thursday/day 297 through this weekend, so stay tuned!

Day 254/365

     A few months ago, on day 186, I took photos of a 10 year-old Bay City girl who had been diagnosed with stage five kidney failure earlier this year. Her mother gained local and national attention with her attempts to get the word out that her daughter needed a donor, whether it was by contacting us at the newspaper, or standing on street corners asking people to help get the word out and get tested to be donors. Her efforts paid off.

     Her daughter, Jessica, has received a donor anonymously and will have the kidney transplant in the first or second week of January. Local Bay Cit businesses are now helping the pair out with medical bills by holding donation days this Saturday, where beauty salons, Jessica's favorite candy store, and other shops will donate and profits and proceeds taken in directly to Jessica and her mother, Stacey. A benefit is being held for them Friday night at a local theater with food and music as well.

     This girl is by far one of my most favorite people I've photographed. She's so much fun, and such a spunky little kid. I had to remind myself how serious her problems were, because you'd never know it by meeting her. I met her and her mom at the aforementioned candy store this evening, and after we had taken pictures and I was going to leave, Jessica came up to me and gave me a giant hug. Then, her mother thanked me for helping to get her story out, and that she didn't think they could've done without the paper's publicity. The article that I took today's photos for should be up tomorrow, but in the meantime you can see all the photos from today in this MLive gallery here, and once the article's up there should be a link to it under the photos when you look at them individually. 

Have I mentioned before that I love my job?