+
upworthy
Most Shared

A group taught 24 young cancer patients photography. These are the photos they took.

On April 22, 2017, 24 kids armed with cameras took to the streets of Boston.

Their first assignment: go high and low, worms-eye and birds-eye, to complete a photographic scavenger hunt. For the next five weeks, they'd be sent out again and again, building up an incredible archive of photos.

The photos (and challenges) were part of Pablove Shutterbugs, an arts education program for kids and teens in cancer treatment. The program was started in 2011 by Jo Ann Thrailkill in memory of her son, Pablo, a young photo buff who died of cancer in 2009.


"Foggy Pier" by Lily, age 11. Photo from The Pablove Foundation. All photos used with permission.

Learning to take photos while you're going through cancer treatment might seem like a nice distraction — and it does sound fun — but Shutterbugs is a serious education program as well, meant to teach new, technical skills.It includes both classes at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design and real-world photo assignments.

Lily, 11, is one of the kids. Her dad, Garry, said he can see the confidence when she carries her camera with her. "When their picture comes out good, because of something [Lily] learned in class, I can see how proud she is," Garry said in an email.

The program ran through May 20, but the kids are getting a little something extra as well. Some of their photography will be displayed at an art gallery at the Fort Point Arts Community this June.

"It is very exciting," Lily said in an email. "My dad says that it took him a long time to get anyone to look at his photos and I am only 11 and lots of people have seen my photos."

Here are 11 more photos from this year's group of kids:

1. Zuehailey, 10 — "About to Be Squished by a Car"

Photo from The Pablove Foundation.

2. Zuehailey, 10 — "Untitled"

Photo from The Pablove Foundation.

3. Julia, 7 — "Adventures With Teddy"

Photo from The Pablove Foundation.

4. Julia, 7 — "Egg-cellent Dinner!"

Photo from The Pablove Foundation.

5. Lily, 11 — "Track to Trees"

Photo from The Pablove Foundation.

6. Skyler, 14 — "Glow Wherever You Go"

Photo from The Pablove Foundation.

7. Skyler, 14 — "Let the Waves Hit Your Feet and the Sand Be Your Seat"

Photo from The Pablove Foundation.

8. Alyssa, 16 — "The Lighthouse"

Photo from The Pablove Foundation.

9. Ronnie, 13 — "Through the Diamond"

Photo from The Pablove Foundation.

10. Ani, 13 — "Untitled"

Photo from The Pablove Foundation.

11. Dominic, 16 — "Untitled"

Photo from The Pablove Foundation.

The kids at Pablove aren't cancer patients who take photos. They're photographers who are dealing with cancer.

Cancer sucks. There just isn't really any way around that. When your days and weeks are structured around treatment and doctor appointments, it can feel like cancer becomes your entire identity.

By focusing on developing a technical skill like photography, Pablove gives some of that identity — that sense of agency — back.

The Shutterbugs program currently operates in seven cities across the United States, including Austin, New York, and San Francisco. The Pablove Foundation also provides funding grants for cancer research.

A pitbull stares at the window, looking for the mailman.


Dogs are naturally driven by a sense of purpose and a need for belonging, which are all part of their instinctual pack behavior. When a dog has a job to do, it taps into its needs for structure, purpose, and the feeling of contributing to its pack, which in a domestic setting translates to its human family.

But let’s be honest: In a traditional domestic setting, dogs have fewer chores they can do as they would on a farm or as part of a rescue unit. A doggy mom in Vancouver Island, Canada had fun with her dog’s purposeful uselessness by sharing the 5 “chores” her pitbull-Lab mix does around the house.

Keep ReadingShow less

A group of men look at paperwork.

The massive changes to the American workplace caused by the COVID-19 pandemic invited many to reconsider their professional lives. This reevaluation has led people to push for improved work-life balance, and many now are looking for work to provide a greater sense of meaning and purpose.

When the world returned to work after COVID, many believed they deserved to be treated better by their employers. This resulted in many taking a break from the workforce or changing professions altogether. It also helped usher in a more comfortable culture for calling out companies that don’t treat their employees respectfully.

Recently, a group of thousands came together on Reddit to expose the common mistruths that people often hear at the workplace. It all started when a Redditor named PretenstoKnow asked: "What's the most common lie employers tell their employees?" And over 2,600 people responded.

Keep ReadingShow less
Family

Mom calls out teacher who gave her son a 'zero' grade for not providing class with supplies

Her viral video sparked a debate as to whether or not providing school supplies should be mandatory for parents.

@shanittanicole/TikTok

A zero grade for not providing school supplies?

The debate as to whether or not parents should supply classroom supplies is not new. But as prices continue to rise, parents are growing more baffled as to how they can be expected by teachers to provide all the various glue sticks, colored pencils, rulers and other various items the incoming students might need.

What’s even more perplexing, however, is penalizing the children of parents who won’t (or can’t) provide them.

This was the case for Shanitta Nicole, who discovered her son received a zero grade in his new school for not bringing school supplies for the entire classroom.
Keep ReadingShow less
Photo Credit: William Fortunado via Canva

Amanda Seals breaks down history of DAP handshake

We've all seen people do it. Anywhere from basketball players on television to kids meeting up at the skating rink. Even former president Barack Obama when greeting a mixed group of men gave "DAP" to the Black men in the group, yet switched to a firm handshake when greeting the other men.

It was almost like watching the president code switch, but with body language, in a move that many Black Americans recognize as a gesture of acceptance and comradery. But did you know that there's an actual history behind the DAP that has nothing to do with looking cool? Social justice educator and actress, Amanda Seales, recently re-shared a clip from "The Real" where she was diving into the history of the handshake.

Seales, who has a master's degree in African American Studies from Columbia University, was also admittedly surprised when she learned there was a deeper meaning to the gesture.

Keep ReadingShow less
Health

Neuroscientist reveals perfect amount of time to spend on social media for your mental health

Over several weeks, the participants felt less loneliness, depression and anxiety.

@rachelle_summers/TikTok

Anyone can use this checklist.

There are pretty clear cut guidelines on how much screen time kids should have, but for adults…not so much. And perhaps it’s this lack of clarity that leaves people to go on full blown digital detoxes or get off social media entirely.

And while there is certainly a case to be made for that decision, for many of us, that isn’t quite feasible—especially in certain lines of work.

Luckily, according to neuroscientist Rachelle Summers, there is a way we can still be on social media, without being subjected to its negative side effects.
Keep ReadingShow less
Photo by Kats Weil on Unsplash

Ready for a refreshingly wholesome story?

The stereotypical image we get of bachelor parties is a booze-filled evening of depravity and bad choices. Followed of course by a massive hangover…and some regrets.

And granted, there are plenty of viral videos to show that this is sometimes the case. But there are also plenty of grooms who don’t see it as their “last night as a free man.” On the contrary, they see it as an opportunity to simply celebrate the next chapter with close friends.

Case and point: a husband-to-be named Luke, who apparently couldn’t stop “gushing” about his bride, Sam. This, according to a woman also named Sam, who happened to be at the bar Luke was having his bachelor party at.
Keep ReadingShow less