Khrystyana’s Cancer Battle

In the middle of the chaos that was 2020, while the world was learning how to navigate a pandemic, Khrystyana was handed an even more personal battle: a diagnosis of non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Since then, she’s faced years of grueling treatments, endless appointments, and more emotional ups and downs than most of us could imagine. Every time a new treatment showed promise, it seemed to fall short just as quickly. Still, through it all, she fought on.

Up until this day, none of her treatments were the type to cause her to lose her hair, but with other options failing, they decided on a bone marrow transplant as a last ditch effort. The procedure would require chemo, then full body radiation for a month, and then the surgery. Knowing this time she wouldn’t be able to keep her hair (or her fingernails or toenails either) due to the full body radiation, she decided not to wait until her hair started falling out in clumps. She wanted to take her hair off the way SHE wanted to.

She asked me, as her friend, to photograph this for her. She brought her husband with her, prepared to have him shave her head for her while I photographed it. What she didn’t know is that I had put together a full team of people for her.

When she arrived at my studio, she was greeted not just with my camera, but with a full team who had come together to pour love into her day. We started with Reiki and a sound bath to center and calm her nerves before we began. From there, a professional hairstylist gently removed her hair, with Khrystyana’s husband stepping in to finish the final shave. I also had a professional makeup artist there for her. Grayce Bridal generously donated dresses for the shoot. Khrystyana chose a stunning purple gown for the first half, and for the second half, I surprised her with a custom-made green dress—the color of the lymphoma ribbon. Bad Rabbit Flowers created breathtaking headpieces that crowned her like the warrior she is.

It was super emotional for everyone, and we went from crying to laughing to silence, and back to crying I don’t even know how many times. At the very end, we braved the cold of downtown Maine Street, Gardiner in December, and K strut her stuff down the middle of the street as people cheered her on from the sidewalks.

What an immensely powerful day.

Khrystyana—your courage is contagious. I am honored beyond words to have walked alongside you for this moment. You are unstoppable. You are radiant. And above all else, you are so deeply loved.