斯凯·明戈用她的相机克服了困难

Twenty-year-old Skye Mingo has faced numerous challenges in her medical journey by overcoming cancer and heart surgeries, all the while illuminating her path through the lens of her passion for photography.

Born at Gallup Indian Health Service Hospital in Gallup, 新墨西哥, Mingo’s life took an unexpected turn when her mother, Raschelle耙, went in for a well-baby check and her doctors discovered a heart defect.

Skye was med-flighted to a hospital in Albuquerque, where she was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, and was later med-flighted again this time to Denver Children’s Hospital and underwent two open-heart surgeries over the course of three months.

手术后, she and her mother moved to 费城 and the late Tribal Chief Phillip Martin, 为他们提供了紧急C级住房, ensuring Skye's access to the necessary medical care. 不久之后，她的父亲大卫. Mingo of the Tucker Community, moved back with them during this time.

一到这里, she started seeing a cardiologist at UMMC who referred them to Arkansas Children’s Hospital where she received a heart transplant in December 2005.

Although her first-year post-transplant went well, 她面临挑战, including an ischemic stroke in 2007 that required a year of occupational and physical therapy, and around first grade she was diagnosed with lymphoma linked to transplants, resulting in homeschooling the following year due to her weakened immune system.

Mingo’s cancer went into remission after three months of chemotherapy, but then around seventh grade she had reoccurring partial seizures which led to grand mal seizures that she still deals with today.

Lymphoma and epilepsy have forever scarred her academic journey. 然而, she is on the brink of graduation as she finishes her remaining geometry and algebra classes through online schooling at Choctaw Central.

Despite the massive hurdles, Mingo’s heart is now healthier than ever. She shows resilience and determination as she manages her epilepsy by working with a neurology team in Jackson.

“斯凯遭受了很多痛苦，”雷克说. “She’s kept a good attitude, she’s kind, and she’s everything you would want in a daughter. Watching Skye persevere, watching her courage, and watching her face pain has changed me as a person.”

Skye's passion for photography has blossomed over the years. Inspired by her dad’s love for both photography and painting, 她从捕捉蝴蝶的图像开始, 蜥蜴, and any intriguing creatures inhabiting her backyard.

“I really like taking pictures of my pets,”她说。. “我有六只猫和两只狗.”

Her knack for arranging floral backdrops for her pet photos has even received attention with several likes and positive feedback across her social media posts.

While exploring zoos like the one in Little Rock, 和她的家人在阿肯色州, Skye’s skill not only shows with her Kodak Az528 camera but also through photos taken with her phone that are unedited and not enhanced with apps like Photoshop.

Dr. Julia Riley of 亚博电竞官网官网中心一般’s Pediatric Clinic recognized Skye's talent while getting to know her during clinic visits and came up with the idea to decorate every patient exam room with two pieces of Skye's artwork.

这些充满活力的照片, 从小猩猩应有尽有, 狮子, 还有鳄鱼和她心爱的宠物, 散发出积极和快乐.

“当我来到这里时，我真的很惊讶, 我很高兴看到我所有的照片, especially the one of the baby orangutang and of my cat and my dog,”她说。. “拍照让我保持积极, because sometimes when I’m scared or afraid I think of how much I love doing photography and how much it means to me.”

受Joel Sartore的影响, a National Geographic photographer of endangered species, her dreams of traveling across the United States to capture the beauty of national parks once her seizures subside. She also wants to attend a college with a photography program after high school.

“Even when things are hard, you still have to find something you have a purpose for,”她说。.

Skye旨在传达一种目的感, 快乐, and happiness as the central themes throughout all her photographs.

“The thing that I noticed as her mom is that she has a wonderful eye for composition,” Raker said. “Skye takes pictures every day in the afternoon unless she’s feeling bad. She goes out to the yard and takes pictures of the moon, 的日落, 狗, 或是地上长着的什么花. 她越来越好了.”

除了她的艺术, Skye has recently been making bracelets for fellow young patients to grab from a wagon during her children’s hospital visits. This act alone reflects her compassionate nature and ability to inspire others as she navigates life with purpose and a camera in hand.