Meet Haley
Hey There!
My name is Haley and I am the face behind the Love Legacy lens.
Photographs capture the fleeting moments in our lives and allow us to cherish the memory long after the experience has passed.
Because of my own experiences of loss in my own life, I want to be able to offer the opportunity for us to seize the precious moments we have with our loved ones. I know how important photographs can be, and there have been several times I longed to have more of them to reinvigorate my memory of loved ones gone too soon.
Since I am asking to step into your sacred spaces, I want you to know a piece of my own life story that has led me where I am today.
I was navigating a new season of my life as a freshman in college when life hit hard. My sister’s husband of three years, Paul passed away from Hantavirus in October 2007, not even six months after they welcomed their first baby girl into this world. My sister became a widow and single mom at age 25. A few short months later, in January of 2008 my brother, Cole passed away from hypothermia. He was almost 22, set to graduate college that May and had his sights set on grad school. After our losses, I definitely went through the varying stages of grief and my faith was tested in ways I hadn’t experienced before. It took me several years to work through the anger I felt toward God and to truly believe that He loved me.
Watching my dad and grandpa work hard to tend the land on our fourth-generation family farm was a blessing growing up, but it also made it a little harder to see my Grandpa Ronald begin to fail in August of 2016 and then pass away that October. In those final weeks of his life I was able to have some meaningful conversations about God and share sentimental moments with him that I will always treasure. It’s times like those where I wished I had someone to capture some of the moments I spent with my grandpa sitting out on the deck, talking about some of the most important things in life.
Our family was shaken once again in April of 2018 when my cousin, Kimberly, who was only 30-years-old passed away unexpectedly, leaving behind her sweet 2-year-old son. Then, not even a year later in February of 2019, my aunt Sharla passed away at age 61 from an aggressive form of cancer-Acute Myeloid Leukemia. From her initial diagnosis to her passing it was a brief 6 months. As family surrounded her in her last moments on earth, I took a very quick photograph that holds so much meaning.
Losing loved ones has been very difficult, but it has also given me a unique perspective and desire to capture some treasured moments. These experiences have created opportunities for our family to grow closer and to honor the memories of those who have gone before us.
The raw moments in my life have not only included grief through the loss of loved ones, but also through unexpected changes in life. The summer of 2018 held two surgeries just three days apart as I had an extensive hip procedure called a Periacetabular Osteotomy with a labrum replacement. The outcome forced me to let go of one of the things that has helped shape who I am-running. I have identified with being a runner ever since I was a little girl, all the way through my collegiate track and field career and beyond. Letting go of running has come with its challenges, but I am finding other ways to honor my body with movement. Because of my love for documenting monumental occasions, I asked one of my photographer friends to capture a milestone in my recovery-walking again! I had spent almost 13 weeks with crutches and being able to walk again was definitely something I wanted to document, and I expressed that through photography.
Our family faced another trial in June of 2019. We were shocked to hear the news that my mom, Sandy was diagnosed with cancer. After surgery, numerous tests, and appointments, we discovered that her prognosis was better than initially anticipated. She began her chemotherapy and radiation treatments the beginning of August, and finished up treatment mid September. I was able to document parts throughout her cancer journey, and even got to catch the celebration by staff members in her honor on her last day of treatment. Complete healing is said to be around a year out, but we are currently thanking God for a clean scan and for the improvements she continues to make.
Through the hardships I have faced, I’ve realized that my faith in God is the most important thing in life. He has and will continue to sustain me through it all. Life is such a precious gift to be treasured, and even in the darkest moments there can be hints of hope and beauty found. I am looking forward to more opportunities to capture glimpses into what makes us who we are-in the good times as well as the challenging times of our lives.
