Coryn's Story

In April of 2005, on the day of her 6th birthday, Coryn Lord was diagnosed with Leukemia. Her mom had noticed a lot of bruising on her legs and took her to the doctor thinking she might be suffering from anemia. Instead she was instructed by to go quickly to Nationwide Children's Hospital where Coryn would begin her 2-year chemotherapy treatment to fight the disease.

Coryn loves music, is a performer at heart, and was in the middle of a year-long reign as the Little Queen of the Jackson Apple Festival when she was diagnosed. But the illness never squelched her spirit. she glued her Little Queen crown to her head when she lost her hair from chemo.

Because exposure to others put her weakened immune system at risk during her treatment, she stayed home from school. Her seat in the classroom was kept warm by a giant teddy bear.

This summer, two years after finishing treatment, Coryn attended the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp."It was my first time going to camp and I wasn't too homesick," said Coryn. "I did miss my mom a few times."

Camp was a chance for Coryn to be independent. Although she was accompanied by chaperones and fellow campers, flying to a camp six states away without her parents gave Coryn gave the wonderful feeling of freedom. Going somewhere new had great appeal, the fact that it was far away made it that much more exciting.

"I am not sure I could have sent her away to camp like that anywhere else," said Coryn's mom Cathy. "With the Hole in the Wall Gang camp, we were confident that whatever situation arose, she would be well taken care of.

Due to the nature of treatment, Coryn matured beyond her peer group at home. At camp, she was able to reconnect with children who not only understood each other's medical conditions, but related to each other on a similar emotional stage.  

"For me, camp was a time when I got to meet a lot of really nice new friends and just have fun," said Coryn.

When Coryn was going through treatment, photographer Michael Rubenstein, then a student at Ohio University in Athens, offered to capture some of Coryn's journey in photographs. His work is a stunning portrayal of her experience. Click here to access Michael Rubenstein's photo journal of Coryn.