This wonderful family became dear friends after I photographed Kristen pregnant with Stephen 18 years ago. Over the years, there have been so many laughs, tears, hugs, hikes, and, of course, portraits. I treasure their friendship.
In June of 2023, something happened that no one saw coming.
Stephen was working out with his Flag High football teammates. Feeling his right arm locking up, he re-racked the 145-pound weights and sat down on the bench to see if he could revive it.
In his mind, he remembers saying, “I need some help.”
He doubts now that those words actually left his mouth.
Until that moment, there were zero symptoms.
The tonic-clonic seizure (previously called Gran Mal) lasted 3.5 looong minutes. About 1.5 minutes in, he became aware of his surroundings and could hear but couldn’t speak.
The first of many scary experiences.
After being flown to Phoenix and hours of tests that tried their stamina and strained their emotions, Kristen found herself alone with the news that her teenage son had a brain tumor that required surgery.
“Are you sure it’s not something else?” she asked, desperately hoping for better news.
After a 3-hour brain biopsy surgery a few days later, they had to wait a month for results. It was a surprise to see 16-year-old Stephen’s brain cancer diagnosis – something which usually strikes adults 45-65.
Brain surgery lasted longer than expected. Stephen awoke after 9 hours to the reality of a dumbfounding complication. The electrodes attached to his tongue to monitor him while under had caused an alarming swelling of his tongue. Needing a breathing tube and a feeding tube for nearly a month was an outcome “nobody prepared us for.”
There was no treatment, only frustration and pain.
He started chemo and radiation while still recovering from the damage to his mouth, traveling back and forth between Phoenix area hospitals by ambulance for the punishing treatment.
With lots of help, he’s completed a year of chemotherapy in Flagstaff, overcome partial paralysis, and relearned how to walk, talk, write, eat, throw a football, and lift weights. He missed most of this junior year and pushed through a myriad of challenges to make it up while still undergoing chemo.
His hard work is paying off. His scans now look good, and there is reason for optimism. He’ll even graduate on time – a Herculean effort.
Remarkably, despite everything he’s endured, he attended almost every one of his teammates’ football games, even when that meant traveling long distances directly from radiation treatment.
Kristen applied to the Make-A-Wish program after she was advised of the better outcomes recipients experience. When she told Stephen, he was angry, feeling that others deserved it more.
He ultimately reached a decision. “Mom, it can’t be all about me. What I really want is to do good for others, to do something bigger than myself.”
“I figured it out. I want to help reduce brain injuries for my Flag High teammates.”
I asked where the idea came from. “All my concussions,” he replies, laughing.
So, at 16, Stephen asked the Make-a-Wish Foundation to replace the 11 – 12-year-old helmets for each of his teammates. The surprise gifts were announced on August 3 in an emotional, heartwarming ceremony.
He got to wear one, too, although he’s gone from playing just about every position to Place-holding – which puts his recovering body at the smallest amount of risk.
Click though Stephen’s images in the gallery above. ☝🏻
He’s been through so much, yet he remains kind, thoughtful, funny, and sweet. He leads by example. It’s obvious in the way his teammates cheer, support, and show up for him.
Now, you can find him crushing his senior year of high school, getting ready to graduate in May, leaving behind the astonishing challenges of the last year and a half.
It’s nothing short of heroic.
#seniorphotos @makeawish @flagstaffhighschool
Flagstaff Family Portrait Photographer • Flagstaff Maternity Pregnancy Photographer • Flagstaff Newborn Photographer • Flagstaff Child Photographer • Flagstaff Senior Portrait Photographer • Flagstaff Couples Photography
Kristen Dacey Iwai of KDI Photography is a full-time professional portrait photographer based in Flagstaff, Arizona with decades of experience. Making portraits of families, pregnancy, newborns, babies, children, and high school seniors in her downtown studio and on location, she serves clients from Flagstaff, Sedona, Tuba City, Winslow, Payson, Page, Williams, Prescott, Mesa, Scottsdale, Phoenix, Arizona
