Lindsey Rose Belcher is my new hero.
She is followed closely behind by her father, FOX-13 reporter Charley Belcher and American Idol David Cook.
The three have a bond that was formed when Charley was in Hollywood covering the American Idol competition and mentioned to David that Lindsey Rose had picked Cook, during the preliminary rounds, to win.
Charley also mentioned to David that seven-year-old Lindsey had been diagnosed with leukemia on Christmas Eve, 2007 and that the orange wristband with the motto "Do Whatcha Gotta Do" Charley was wearing was the catchphrase that father and daughter had come up with to help cope with the painful, invasive treatments she was going through.
David Cook, bless his generous heart, asked for one of the orange wristbands. He wore it through the rest of the competitions and wears it to this day.
The next time he makes an appearance, anywhere, look for it. I guarantee it's there.
Lindsey Rose and David met in person when the Idol show came to Tampa last month.
Here's the link to the story as it aired on FOX-13:
Lindsey Rose shows off her "I Love David Cook" t-shirt.
You would have to be dehydrated to not shed a tear after seeing the joy in Lindsey Rose's life when meeting her Idol for the first time.
And, you'd have to be a little cold-hearted to not feel great respect for David Cook, a young man literally at the top of the world who has adoration from millions of fans, yet takes the time, energy and emotions to form such a bond with one little girl and give her (and her parents) hope, love and immense joy during the most challenging, unpredictable, painful times of their lives.
I've been numbed a bit after being in the news business for as long as I have been, but this was a story that I couldn't ignore. I was moved beyond belief.
I had met her father Charley while covering a few news stories together. He had always been friendly and seemed like a truly nice man.
I called him and offered to do a portrait session with Lindsey Rose.
Lindsey Rose and her biggest fan, her father Charley.
Charley told me it's something they had been talking about: documenting Lindsey Rose as her hair started to return after her initial bout with chemotherapy. He said they'd love to do a shoot with her. But, was she up to it?
Charley told me it's something they had been talking about: documenting Lindsey Rose as her hair started to return after her initial bout with chemotherapy. He said they'd love to do a shoot with her. But, was she up to it?
Charley said yes, she loved attention and was looking forward to "her photo shoot", as she called it.
Lindsey Rose turned out to be a true professional in front of the camera. She was comfortable, calm, extremely beautiful and had a smile that hours of shooting couldn't erase. 
We shot under studio lights, natural light and at the beach with a mixture of both.
Charley Belcher provides the light for Lindsey Rose's photo session.
She loved it, as you can see from this selection of photos.
I loved it at least as much as she did. I was shooting someone far more important than any celebrity, bride and groom or news story I've ever shot.
I was shooting a young girl, facing and overcoming challenges that I couldn't begin to imagine and doing it with the courage that many adults cannot accomplish.
What's my point?
There are several of them:
1. Support any childhood cancer foundations that you can find. Tampa Bay has many organizations and health care facilities that specialize in childhood cancers. Give donations and volunteer.
2. If you're a photographer, GIVE part of your time away. Find a non-profit organization that you believe in, a family in need, a couple getting married who cannot afford you for your services or any of a million causes that could use your skills to further their message or document their accomplishments or people. There are Heart Galleries around the country who use the services of volunteer photographers to shoot portraits of hard-to-adopt children. They place the portraits in high-traffic areas like malls, libraries, etc. to try to catch the attention of prospective, adoptive families and make them fall in love, just a little, with a young child in need of a family. (I'm the photographer coordinator for the Heart Gallery of Pinellas and Pasco. We can always use new photographers. http://www.heartgallerykids.org/)
3. Hug and love your children every day that you can. Charley told me it was ok if I wrote about this shoot if it helped to open the hearts and minds of people that every day with your children is a gift and to never take it for granted. He said that when he looks back before she was diagnosed, he wishes that instead of watching the Buccaneers play, he would have spent that day playing with Lindsey Rose. He wants Lindsey Rose to move people, to affect positive change and she does.
There's a very special bond between these two that I was lucky enough to witness and to document.
Thank you Lindsey Rose.
You are my American Idol.
Lindsey Rose had to be "forced" to not smile. I told her she doesn't have to smile to be beautiful. All she has to do is walk in the room.
Lindsey Rose's support page: http://www.active.com/donate/ltnTampa/cb
