#15 On her 20th Birthday, she found out she had Cancer.
Imagine celebrating your 20th Birthday, celebrating your life and everyone in it. And just a week later being told you have been diagnosed with stage-four Hodgkins Lymphoma. That's what happened with Hannah. Not quite the fairness in life, one might expect in life. That's how it is though.Cancer just sneaks upon you with no forewarning and takes away everything from you just like that.
#14 But her boyfriend, Johnny Griffiths stood by her side.
Hannah says that ever since she was diagnosed with cancer, people started gradually pulling away from her. They were unable to understand what to say to her, how they were to support her.
But her boyfriend stood by her side.
Johnny Griffith says that Cancer is not certain death. Cancer is also a disease like any other disease out there.And so he set out to prove his point through his photography.
#13 Cancer is not everything.
It was April 2015 when Hannah was diagnosed and both she and Johnny were in the second year of college. Johnny wanted to stay by Hannah's side and moved into Hannah's family house to be there for her at all times. And continued to stay there throughout the duration of her treatment.
Their life was turned upside down. It was filled with hospital visits and chemotherapy.
And the outside world went on as usual. Not stopping for anyone except for them.
#12 Why the photos?
The idea came to Johnny when one of his tutors pointed out that irrespective of the pain he was going through, he had to graduate. And in order to do that he had submitted some work. Johnny was a photography grad student.
He thought to use this, to show cancer in a different light.
Just because Cancer is shown as something dark and negative,its not just that. Is what Johnny wanted to tell the world.
#11 And so he started...
Hannah says that normalcy is the best medicine to cancer. To smile in-spite of all the pain. To be like everyone else.
So, she embraced everything that Cancer had in store for. For Hannah, this meant shunning wigs, embracing her buzz cut and wearing makeup to the hospital whenever she had chemo. Even though it makes her feel like death at the end of every therapy.
#10 "It's Cancer"
And so the campaign began. Johnny captured moments that would show that there's more to cancer than just suffering.
#9 To capture the good and the bad.
The little moments of joy.
#8 The balancing act.
Johnny said that he had to find a balance. He did not want his project to overshadow their relationship. And had to choose moments that were meant for the camera and those that were meant for just living.
#7 Moments of happiness and sadness.
The numerous visits to the hospital.
#6 The sleepless nights.
When sleep was a dream.
#5 The time spent in the hospital.
The waiting that never seemed to end.
#4 The struggle.
The need for a better news.
#3 The bed at home.
The times when things were too much..
#2 Hope
Dreaming of the future
#1 Live on
View more of Johnny's It's Cancer exhibition as a part of Exordium.
