Beginning in October of 2012, I started shooting a story for The New York Times of a woman who needed a lung transplant. The only caveat was that as a Jehovah's Witness, she was not allowed to receive transfused blood products as part of the procedure. While "bloodless" transplants are common enough, the first one being done in the mid-1990's, they can actually be considered a better bet for the patient since there can be less complications in recovery since it's one less factor to worry about before, during and after surgery. The first two assignments were easy enough as far as meeting and photographing the subject, Georgia resident Rebecca Tomczak, as she went through a complete diagnostic battery of tests and also a through a day in her life as she stayed with a host Jehovah's Witness family and a brief visit to a potential apartment complex she was thinking about moving into. The last part of the assignment, being ready when a donor organ was available, was more of a challenge. The call finally came January 30, 2013 from the reporter, Kevin Sack, to tell me an organ had been found and would be delivered to Houston as soon as possible. After speaking with the public affairs person at Methodist Hospital, it was decided it would be best if I got to the hospital at 4am to be ready for surgery. Once things were in place, the surgery seemed to move along quicker than I expected, less than half a day. Meanwhile, I was able to witness the miracle of organ transplantation from a front row seat in the operating room.
University of Houston freshman Daniel Rojas attempts to throw a frisbee from a handstand to sophomore Edwin Castaneda as they play during a break from classes Oct. 27, 2009 in Houston, TX. They were both on an Ultimate Frisbee team, but didn't have time for practice due to their class load. The former Klein Forest high school students usually play once or twice a week at U of H.
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Evon Washington has been a framer for 27 years at Heritage Art Gallery, located on Almeda. Oct. 6, 2009 in Houston, TX.
91-year-old Milo W. Ford, who was recently honored for playing the organ for 70 years at the First United Methodist Church in Dayton, TX, sits before his organ, Oct. 23, 2009 at the church. He also would manually ring the daily chimes each day at 5 pm when he was 13 years old. He only stopped while attending Rice University (and would return home to play many times) and when serving in WWII for a few years and three years that he was hospitalized with TB. He also worked as janitor at the local bank as a boy...and grew up to be the bank president and serve three years as the town's mayor.
A C-17A flies past a grounded C130 airplane at Wings Over Houston Airshow, Oct. 31, 2009 in Houston, TX at Ellington Airfield.
Mike Daly, with the commemorative Air Force, looks at a P-47 as it is started at Wings Over Houston Airshow, Oct. 31, 2009 in Houston, TX at Ellington Airfield. Daly said the plane is a predecessor to the A-10 tank killer, and was used in WWII during the invasion of Normandy. His uniform is from WWII-era 82nd Airborne. Daly is retired from the Air Force.
Bea Uhl, standing inside a B-24 bomber, looks out on a F-18 Hornet performing maneuvers at Wings Over Houston Airshow, Oct. 31, 2009 in Houston, TX at Ellington Airfield.
Aaron Phillips dressed as "A.J. 3000 as Pimp Lucius" at the Lone Star Rally, Oct. 31, 2009 in Galveston, TX in the Strand.