COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina Family Connection is preparing for its annual LOOK! exhibit to open. The exhibit displays photos of children from across South Carolina who live with disabilities.
The purpose of the showcase is to highlight the beauty and unique abilities of the children being photographed. The exhibit also works to dispel myths about disabilities only being visible.
“To hopefully shatter some of the myths about an individual living and thriving in your community that might have a disability or chronic health condition," the CEO at South Carolina Family Connection Amy Holbert said.
South Carolina Family Connection invites more than 60 families every year to get portraits taken.
One of those families is the Martin Family. Six-year-old Jackson Martin has been featured in the exhibit his entire life, starting at 10 months.
His mother Jena Martin said he was born prematurely at just four pounds. His early entrance into the world has caused some developmental delays and chronic illness. Jena said Jack deals with what they call an invisible disability.
“For kids like Jack you see him and he’s out playing and out and about but you might not know that he’s had how many surgeries have you had? Like 6 or 10," Jena and Jack said.
Amy Holbert said the portraits help tell a piece of each child's story.
“A picture is worth a thousand words," Holbert said.
Jena said these exhibits have frozen each of Jack's milestones in time, showing new progress every year.
The LOOK! exhibit opens July 23rd at the Richland Library.