Photo taken by first-time contributor AJ King, a single mother, photographer and paralegal in Manchester, NH. Her daughter was diagnosed with ADHD almost two years ago, when she was 5. At first, she did not want to believe that her daughter had ADHD. AJ wanted nothing more than for her daughter to be “normal,” which she had felt she was, just a little more hyper than other children her age. She came to accept that she does, in fact, have ADHD, that does not, however, mean she is not “normal,” nor is there anything “wrong” with her. Her daughter takes medication so that she is able to focus at school, she does yoga to calm down, and, has a therapist she talks to once a week. Her daughter is not like most children, not because of the stigma of a mental disability, but, because she is entering into the world of modelling. She has the ability to spend time with photographers, models, and even hangs out with metal bands (AJ does band photography as well as other types of photography as part of her new business, King Photography). AJ has been told by all of the photographers and models that they know that her daughter is a natural model. Her daughter has had to overcome a lot in her short life, but she is doing it, with the help of her parents, family, and friends. AJ does not want her daughter’s ADHD to be a hindrance for her. She wants people to understand that even if someone has a mental illness, it does not mean they are a bad person, or that they should be feared. Rather, they should be loved, just like everyone else in this world. AJ has been interested in photography for as long as she can remember, and despite everything, she is finally realizing her dream of becoming a professional photographer.
About this photo: “This photograph was taken the day before Easter this year. My daughter and I were visiting with my dad, and, it was such a beautiful day out, that, we decided to do an informal photo shoot. My daughter has become quite the model, and, came up with the concepts of her shoot all on her own. She wanted to do this shot, and, after looking at it, she said it reminded her of Alice in Wonderland, which, is why we decided to name this shot Alice. My daughter reminds me a lot of Alice, as she daydreams a lot, and comes up with fantastical stories.”
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