Portraits

Samantha may have many obstacles, but she has never let Mito take the wheel. She has a 4.0 GPA and aspires to be a marine biologist. Her mom says she is fiercely independent and shy, but I found her to be a warm and bright young lady who blossomed in front of the camera. Samantha had many symptoms of Mitochondrial disease from the start, including global delays, aspiration, myoclonus, difficulty eating, and frequent illnesses that took a long time to get over. Now at 14 years old, Samantha has a G-Tube like many Mito kids, which supplies needed nutrition and water to help with energy and hydration. She also uses a wheelchair when walking more than a few minutes due to severe muscle fatigue.