The Missouri Patient Project
Donation protected
My name is Karin Chester and this is my project.
My mission is:
To photographically and biographically document and record the lives and stories of current and potential patients who may be helped by Medical Cannabis.
To use these records to create awareness among the general public and medical community as to the many illnesses and conditions that can be treated with Medical Cannabis.
To use any funds generated by this project (outside of project costs) to benefit Missouri Medical Marijuana Legalization efforts.
During the court proceedings at the conclusion of the 2016 Medical Marijuana Campaign (which ended when we fell just 23 signatures short in a single Congressional District, even though we turned in over 100,000 extra signatures statewide,) I met Ashley Markum and her beautiful boy Ayden. After we lost in court, there were a handful of volunteers that congregated at the hotel we'd been staying at in Jefferson City. We were all still reeling, Ashley and Ayden among us. It was a difficult night, and there were more than a few of us who weren't quite ready to leave. So we stayed, all of us, that night atnthe hotel with Ashley and Ayden. We sang him songs and played with him. I watched his mother take care of him with a never-ending patience and gratitude like nothing I'd ever seen.
As I watched Ashley and Ayden together, I found myself wishing I could capture the tender expressions on their faces and the love in their eyes for each other. I started mentally framing the images in my mind... the ones I wanted to capture the most; Ayden laughing, his beautiful smile, but also, his tears. I knew that people would need to see his tears. Then I realized I could tell the stories of other patients and their families.
I'll be documenting patient's lives in images with my camera and I will tell their true story as well as I can. I want to show their joy and love but also some of the frustration and pain that comes from being denied the only medicine that can actually heal. Any money raised outside of project cost will be donated to organizations that are currently fighting to legalize Medical Cannabis in Missouri. There will be no salaries paid. Everyone helping me is a volunteer that believes in this project as much as I do.
My mission is:
To photographically and biographically document and record the lives and stories of current and potential patients who may be helped by Medical Cannabis.
To use these records to create awareness among the general public and medical community as to the many illnesses and conditions that can be treated with Medical Cannabis.
To use any funds generated by this project (outside of project costs) to benefit Missouri Medical Marijuana Legalization efforts.
During the court proceedings at the conclusion of the 2016 Medical Marijuana Campaign (which ended when we fell just 23 signatures short in a single Congressional District, even though we turned in over 100,000 extra signatures statewide,) I met Ashley Markum and her beautiful boy Ayden. After we lost in court, there were a handful of volunteers that congregated at the hotel we'd been staying at in Jefferson City. We were all still reeling, Ashley and Ayden among us. It was a difficult night, and there were more than a few of us who weren't quite ready to leave. So we stayed, all of us, that night atnthe hotel with Ashley and Ayden. We sang him songs and played with him. I watched his mother take care of him with a never-ending patience and gratitude like nothing I'd ever seen.
As I watched Ashley and Ayden together, I found myself wishing I could capture the tender expressions on their faces and the love in their eyes for each other. I started mentally framing the images in my mind... the ones I wanted to capture the most; Ayden laughing, his beautiful smile, but also, his tears. I knew that people would need to see his tears. Then I realized I could tell the stories of other patients and their families.
I'll be documenting patient's lives in images with my camera and I will tell their true story as well as I can. I want to show their joy and love but also some of the frustration and pain that comes from being denied the only medicine that can actually heal. Any money raised outside of project cost will be donated to organizations that are currently fighting to legalize Medical Cannabis in Missouri. There will be no salaries paid. Everyone helping me is a volunteer that believes in this project as much as I do.
Organizer
Karin Spinks Chester
Organizer
Hillsboro, MO
