Documenting the daily life within a Haitian hospital

When carrying out an assignment like this and photographing the emotional state present within a hospital, it can be quite a delicate challenge especially for someone outside of the community. It requires one to be very discreet, respectful, sensitive to the patient as well as sensitive to the overall tone and atmosphere surrounding that patient. I wanted the resulting images to reflect as much the subject as the atmosphere.  Hospitals are not exactly associated with joy and celebration, but neither are they entirely bleak and somber.  The atmosphere of the hospital is what the patient makes it and I wanted to capture a depth in the images that hopefully reflected that atmosphere. Although the end result may not depict an overtly happy tone, the images in a manner reflect the subjects themselves.  I’m sure everyone can agree that a sick or suffering child is something no one would ever want to see; yet it’s an unfortunate and unforgiving part of life.  There is melancholy to the images that one can’t avoid; this is the unfortunate truth surrounding illness, especially in children.  However, due to the generosity and hard work of the people at Saint Damien Pediatric Hospital, there is hope, there is care and there is love.