Hailey’s first pregnancy went well until she went into labor and her daughter was born four weeks early. Hailey’s water had broke so the doctor encouraged inducing labor which was subsequently painful and difficult. At the age of one, Payton was diagnosed with mild hydrocephaly that eventually resolved itself within the year. When Payton was two, Hailey was diagnosed with a rare type of cancer called, Thymoma. At the time this photograph was taken, Hailey had been battling thymoma for about 7 years, had three major thoracic surgeries, one minor surgery, radiation, and tried 11 different types of chemotherapy. She was forced to terminate her second pregnancy so that she could begin fighting her aggressive form of cancer. Hailey has learned a lot about herself throughout her treatment and says she’s come to peace with her journey. She says, despite all of her physical alterations, she still loves her body and she wants to share that with the world. “My body didn’t do this to me. My body is still beautiful and working very hard for me.” After a heroic battle with cancer, Hailey, passed away January 14, 2015, in Colorado Springs, with her loving family at her side.
“I think that all women are beautiful in every shape, size, and form... I especially like my body! That’s one of the things I’ve learned, that even with all the scars, even with the scoliosis, even with everything, I kinda like it, I like the way it looks. I wanted to photograph it in all its glory!”