Friday, January 26, 2018
Weather: 67°, mix of sun and clouds

Looking back to Thursday
The unit where I've been 'living' is one large floor with 4 corridors. Two corridors are dedicated to children with leukemia, two corridors to solid tumors. Dr. Mazin says that about 50% of all Iraqi childhood cancers are dealt with on this unit. Interestingly this is a free and public ward. And the floor just below is private and families pay out of pocket. From what we understand, the care is the same, but on the public ward, only the mothers are permitted in, while the private ward has no restrictions so the dads and families can visit as well. Also, only 2 beds to a room on the private and 4 to a room on the public. Our visit here is focused on the public unit.

I had a kind of breakthrough with the mothers who were reluctant to be photographed. I was making a few small prints and gave one to a parent. I was soon flooded with requests from the mothers who came flocking down the hall with their black Abayas swaying, asking for prints and to come and take more photos. This time I was able to get them to be photographed with their children. 

Please meet a few of the patients here. 

 Everybody and everything out in the hall, including the beds, when a room is being cleaned.

 

Photographically, these photos, though of sick children, look like the photos I take of any child; a soft expression with eyes right to the camera.

xo
Ellen