There are some incredible stories behind the people who are taking part in this project. Some of these people will be introduced here as their pictures go into the gallery.
Gabrysia
Take a look in The Gallery at the pictures of little Gabrysia. Doesn't she look great! She was a superstar throughout her photo shoot, a real model in the making. I have so many lovely images of her that I don't really know which ones to use. Looks can be deceiving and Gabrysia is a lot more poorly than she looks. She could go into heart failure at any time and is has been listed as 'urgent' on the waiting list for a heart transplant since March 2009. You can read more about Gabrysia here and can read more about the day I met her and Mum, Angela, over on the blog
Oliver
Oliver was born with just one kidney and this had to be removed, leaving him with no kidneys and, therefore, zero kidney function. He is waiting for an urgent kidney transplant. In the meantime, he spends 6 days a week making the long round trip to the hospital and spending most of the day confined to a chair while he undergoes dialysis. As if that was not enough, Oliver has a dysfunctional bowel and is unable to digest food or drink. He is attached to two drips delicering chemical nutrition directly into his blood stream 24 hours a day. Take a look at his pictures in The Gallery and you will see this does not stop him being full of personality. You can read Oliver's story in full on the Live Life Then Give Life site. Check out the 'Gifts of Life' blog to find out more about the day I visited Oliver for his photo shoot.