Breath Giving Portraits Project

Where it All Began

The Breath Giving Portraits Project is the cornerstone project of the D’Andre D. Lampkin Foundation. It was this project that lead to the development of the Foundation with the intent to provide the proper means of creating and developing programs to bring awareness to issue areas founding members cared about. Since 2012, the Breath Giving Portraits Project, in cooperation with Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, has brought awareness to the hardships of children restricted by symptoms of pulmonary fibrosis. With the advent of high quality cameras attached to mobile devices, the ability for families to share professional looking family photos during visits became easier. We hope you enjoy reading about this cornerstone project.

Background

The D’Andre D Lampkin Foundation Breath Giving Portraits Project was a groundbreaking initiative that ran from 2011 until its completion in 2016. This project served as the cornerstone and primary inspiration for the establishment of the D’Andre D Lampkin Foundation.

The Breath Giving Portraits Project aimed to bring hope, joy, and comfort to children admitted to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and families who faced difficult challenges related to pulmonary diseases. It was designed to capture the essence of the human spirit by engaging professional photographers to create and gift personalized portraits to selected participants.

The project’s overarching goal was to promote healing, provide a sense of normalcy, and inspire feelings of empowerment among those children and families undergoing treatment for pediatric pulmonary diseases. By capturing the individuals’ uniqueness and beauty through professional portraiture, the project sought to demonstrate that everyone deserves to be seen, valued, and celebrated.

The Breath Giving Portraits Project successfully reached out to various communities. It provided a platform for participants to momentarily escape their daily struggles and experience the transformative power of photography and capturing important moments in ones life. Participants were not only given an opportunity to have their portraits taken but also engage with photographers, make up artist, child celebrities, and volunteers in a supportive and compassionate environment.

The project left an indelible impact on those involved, fostering renewed hope, self-worth, and a sense of belonging. It served as a catalyst for positive change, prompting D’Andre D Lampkin to establish the eponymous foundation. The Breath Giving Portraits Project remains a testament to the foundation’s commitment to uplifting individuals, building strong communities, and improving society through various charitable initiatives.

While the specific details of the project’s participants, locations, and outcomes are not provided, it is evident that the Breath Giving Portraits Project created a lasting legacy and continues to inspire future endeavors by the D’Andre D Lampkin Foundation.

How Funding Is Used

Volunteer contributions also go towards purchasing materials for prints, make-up kits for beauty touch up, glass frames to place the photos in, food, and activities for the families and volunteers to enjoy throughout the day. The photos will be printed and given to the families the same day. One-time-use make-up kits are necessary to prevent cross infection. At the conclusion of the photo shoot, additional prints will be provided to the hospital to be shown in a gallery located in the hospital wing of their choice. Help us breathe new hope into the lives of families by way of giving them breath-taking family photos.

More About the Breath Giving Portraits Project

Everyone aims to take at least one “breath-taking” photo or selfie in their lifetime. But the Breath Giving Portraits Project team aimed to take photos that give back. You don’t have to be a doctor to care about pediatric respiratory health. Volunteer groups traditionally consist of individuals with expertise in editorial, commercial, and stock photography. Past volunteers work full time at companies like Warner Bros®, The Walt Disney Company®, Aureus Medical School, Santa Barbara Police Department, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and Los Angeles Fire Department.

Inaugural BGP Event

We all enjoy breathing, and the BGP endeavors to do the following:

  • Bringing awareness to respiratory diseases that affect children from birth through the age of 21
  • Bring some normalcy to the daily activities of pediatric pulmonology patients who otherwise would not be included in holiday family photos.
  • Contribute monetarily to research related to respiratory diseases like asthma, cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis, and congenital lung abnormalities.

Meeting the Challenge, No Matter the Setting

The Breath Giving Portraits Project was open to any organization, or division of an organization, whose primary responsibility was to bring awareness to and offer children comprehensive treatment of congenital, inherited, and acquired disorders of the lungs and respiratory system. See how we completed the project for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in the middle of the beach without access to electricity or wifi signals (Wifi hotspots weren’t widely available in 2014, especially on the beach).

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