Meet August. A three year old little boy who is changing the face of beauty. 

Words from August’s parents:

August came to us with the knowledge that there was a 99% chance of him having Down Syndrome, yet I still told myself well there’s still a 1% chance of him not having it. We also knew through modern technology that he would definitely have some sort of heart condition and that he would need surgery eventually or even immediately, but how soon was undetermined because it depended on how he arrived. So partially due to society and what was to be expected in life when having a child, as well as having no reference to anyone with special needs, we were entering a state of the unknown. From the lack of knowledge about individuals with Down Syndrome, we arrived with the typical reaction of someone receiving this diagnosis, looking at all the losses and none of the gains. But even wth all the assumptions, stereotypes and ignorance we still carried some type of hope and said “no matter what the outcome may be, we will love this baby to the best of our ability, and we will get through the challenges that lay ahead.”

On February 23, 2015 around 3am, my water unexpectedly broke and at 9:15am (due to waiting for the heart team to arrive), August Rayne Surita was born through an emergency c-section . He was the most beautiful boy I had ever seen and in that moment, I truly and completely shattered any thoughts of us not have a fulfilling life with him. Not only would our lives be great, but it was going to be enhanced because he now existed. The next few months were emotionally challenging since finding out that my small bundle of love needed open heart surgery due to a condition called Tetralogy of Fallot. August’s glow and red cheeks were slowly turning gray and his SaO2 was dropping fast, going as low as 79% when it typically ranges from 98-100%. But yet again, he opened the doors somehow and was bumped up from his surgery date and at 3 months old his heart was repaired and ready to give his body the push that it needed. On his first day post surgery he woke up and pushed out his breathing tube. He was out of the hospital in 5 1/2 days and hasn’t stopped moving ever since. August has never let his low muscle tone stop him, he started to roll around the living room to get things at 4 months old, then he started walking at 19 months and now at 3 years old he has achieved his goal of jumping, what a feat!

August has showed us what it is to confront life’s challenges, push through and keep on moving forward. He is the face of beauty shining from the inside and out. We could never imagine our lives without him. He is all and everything we could have ever wanted and loved in a son.

It was a pleasure to do a special photo session with some local kids who have Down syndrome. I am hoping to spread awareness locally in addition to adding my own flair to the campaign, Changing the Face of Beauty. 

Our local news station aired the story on Thursday, April 26th to shine a beautiful light on these adorable kiddos and our photo shoot. You can watch the story here.

Oh the places you will go, August!

BETHANY CHASE PHOTOGRAPHY IS A TRUSTED AND EXPERIENCED PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER IN ROCHESTER NY THAT CREATES CUSTOM NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHY, MATERNITY PHOTOGRAPHY, BABY PHOTOGRAPHY, CHILD PHOTOGRAPHY AND FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHY EXPERIENCES FOR CLIENTS ALL ACROSS THE AREA. BETHANY CHASE PHOTOGRAPHY CURRENTLY SERVES, BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO THE FOLLOWING NEW YORK AREAS: ROCHESTER, WEBSTER, PENFIELD, PITTSFORD, BRIGHTON, PERINTON, FAIRPORT, HENRIETTA, SPENCERPORT, GATES, CHILI, IRONDEQUOIT, GREECE, CHURCHVILLE, MENDON.

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