While Photographing The Homeless For A Project, This Woman Made A Life-Changing Discovery
by N/A, 9 years ago |
4 min read
Hawaiian photographer Diana Kim grew up on the island of Maui, where her father, also a photographer, passed his affinity onto her. But sadly, when she became older, her parents split apart, and Kim began living with friends and relatives amidst the fallout.
Eventually, she fell out of touch with her father, who became "absent." In 2003 Kim began a long-term photo project about centered around the homeless of Hawaii. Nine years later, in 2012, she made a discovery that would change her life.
Having have worked on the project for almost a decade, Kim was becoming quite accustomed to learning the stories of the homeless.
Ever since her father passed on his love for photography to her, it's been her greatest passion. And now, she wanted to use it to make an impact...
Little did she know that in this project, it would be her that would be most impacted. During it, she made a discovery that at first, she couldn't believe: her father was homeless.
“I had been searching for my father for weeks and finally found him sitting behind a dumpster, tucked under a bush for shade.â€
“He suffered from severe schizophrenia, and left untreated, he was not always responsive.â€
“There were many instances when it appeared as if he was arguing with someone, but nobody was there.â€
It wasn't until he suffered a heart-attack that saw him hospitalized that Kim’s father agreed to seek treatment.
“I gave my old camera to my dad, in hopes of sparking his interest in photography and giving him something to look forward to. I want him to stay in this good place.â€
After just a few months, he had shown substantial improvement better. “It felt good to see him so healthy, and standing so tall again.â€
“My dad spends a lot time with friends and is actively looking for a job.â€
“I have learned to continue embracing personal and spiritual challenges as an opportunity for growth.â€
“Life itself is a gift. I am so grateful to see him alive and doing better. I appreciate what we have right here, right now.â€
Here's a video of Kim and her father reading through an article on her work and their compelling story:
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