WSVN — Their young lives are filled with surgeries and hospital rooms, but some very special kids got a chance to smile for the camera. 7's Danielle Knox shows us how one photographer is making a sick kid's day "Picture Perfect."
These kids at Holtz Children's Hospital are getting a reason to smile. Today, their treatment is a photo shoot with professional celebrity photographer Robert Zuckerman.
Robert Zuckerman: "I did Al Pacino, Will Smith, Denzel Washington, Cameron Diaz. Photographing a lot of major artists, so I had a good run."
The run ended in 2002 when Robert began to have trouble walking.
Robert Zuckerman: "I started limping, falling, and I was diagnosed with a very rare genetic disease."
He spent a lot of time at hospitals and knows firsthand how lonely and frustrating that can be.
Robert Zuckerman: "What they have to deal with on the other side is such a devastating thing."
Now confined to a wheelchair, Robert decided to share his gift with kids.
Robert Zuckerman: "I found photography to be a really good vehicle for people to make them feel good about themselves and to have a sense of accomplishment."
Fifteen-year-old Jose can forget about being sick for a while and focus on framing a perfect shot.
Robert Zuckerman: "When you frame me up, you don't want too much space, you want my head to be near the top of the frame."
Nineteen-year-old Stephanie has been in and out of the hospital for ten years.
Stephanie Tinoco: "It kinda gets boring. I want to be out, I want to have parties."
Robert is teaching her to live in the moment by capturing one.
Stephanie Tinoco: "Because it keeps memories."
Robert Zuckerman: "Photography is a way of creating that memory of people and honoring people."
But it's not just the kids who benefit. Marisol posed with her son, who just had a life-saving liver transplant. She's spent months at his bedside.
Anthony then got to show his strength behind the lens.
Anthony: "'Cause I've never done this before."
Once he got the hang of it, there was no stopping him.
From photo-bombing to taking selfies, that's why Robert does this.
Robert Zuckerman: "We're here, not just for our own lives, but we're here to try and make the world better for the people around us."
A better world where these kids can focus on something fun. A picture perfect day that will last a lifetime.
The photographs the kids take will eventually be on display on monitors throughout the hospital. In the Plex, Danielle Knox, 7News.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Robert G. Zuckerman
KINDSIGHT(r)
www.robertzuckerman.com
Tel: (323) 864-3100