Wenderoth family

Colleen has always held portrait traditions for her family near and dear to her heart.  She’s the mom who can’t bear to part with any of the photographs in her collections, even the wallets that typically are sent out in graduation cards.  They are her treasure.  She’s made it a point to regularly record what is most precious to her in this life–her family.

Click here to chat about your own custom family portraits.

Colleen initially called desperate to get Riley, her baby, in for senior portraits.  She was calling later than she had planned, but life had been pounding her to pieces and she needed help.  She shared that during her daughter Mandy’s senior year, after some odd health concerns, a visit to her physician determined she had colon cancer.  That started her on a cancer journey she’s been battling ever since.

Battling cancer was not how she planned to be celebrating Mandy’s senior year, but life has a way of intruding it’s worst stuff when we least expect it.  She was scheduled for surgery and so began her last 5 years of struggling against the beast that is cancer.  4 major surgeries, 2 rounds of radiation and 4 rounds of chemo later, she looks the picture of health, reminding us that we never know a person’s story till we get to know them.

Colleen thought she was in the clear after her first surgery, but she was crushed to learn during Josh’s senior year that her cancer had returned.  Cue the boxing gloves to begin her fight again during what was supposed to be a focus on senior year celebrations for Josh.

She was really hoping to break the trend, but alas, during Riley’s senior year she received the devastating news that her cancer had returned, yet again.  Three for three.  Not only that, but she was told this time she was terminal.

The grief that crushed in, bearing tsunami like weight, was showing no signs of relief in sight.  Eager to mark this time down and be counted in the legacy of her family, Colleen scheduled the family portraits you see here.  No one can fully prepare you for the destruction that awaits your body during a cancer fight.  She has been through the ringer on just about every front you can imagine.  Unfortunately she knew what she was in for with the upcoming surgery, which was just days after this shoot. While she’s had some amazing doctors, she’s also had some who advised treatments that took away her ability to leave her bed for weeks at at time.  At one point when preparing for this last surgery, her instinct told her something was off with the surgeon she was meeting with and she pulled out.  She since learned the doc has retired due to the onset of dementia symptoms.  Thankfully she heeded her intuition!

Click here to chat about your own custom family portraits.

Walking through this cancer journey has led to the worst days of Colleen’s life. There’s no sugar coating when it comes to a cancer fight for your life.  It’s meant the complete upheaval and destruction of her ability to maintain the life she loved.  It’s meant the constant mental turmoil that accompanies knowing your time here on earth is quickly coming to an abrupt end.  It’s meant trying to rise up from the feeling of being pushed under the water line, every single day.  It’s meant dealing with the sorrow of knowing you won’t be able to finish watching your babies grow and ever meet their own babies.

However, a bright spot emerged recently in Colleen’s journey.  When she shared her sorrow with Mandy over never being able to be a grandmother, that’s when Mandy shared some unexpected, but cause for celebration news.  She is expecting a baby this winter!  Colleen will get to be a grandmother after all!  Also, cause for cautious celebration is that Collen learned after this last surgery, she is now cancer free.  That’s the first time she’s heard that news in 5 years!  While she’d like to be over the moon, statistics tell her it’s not if, but when the colon cancer will return.  As it stands, best case scenario, she possibly has a few years now, which is cause for celebration, but that will take some time after being so wrecked by the battle she’s been fighting.

Somehow, this family managed to laugh their way through this shoot.  They cheered each other on and told hilarious family stories while we re-created a family portrait from 16 years ago!  The boys also created a scene from Stepbrothers, which had us all cracking up as well!  They held tightly to the woman who has been their rock and traded some of their strength to her during this storm.  Colleen, may the Lord provide the strength, comfort and healing through your journey!