This is Quincy. She is an unbelievably beautiful person and the stepsister of my amazing friend Nicole, who got married last weekend. I had the privilege of photographing them getting ready for the ceremony on Saturday. The atmosphere was very charged. There were a lot of emotions in the room, as there is at any wedding, although tragically both girls were still hurting from the recent loss of their father, Danny.
Danny was an incredible man. It’s almost impossible to describe with words the kind of kindness that radiates from someone’s soul, you have to experience it in person. I was lucky enough to do so in April, when Jeffery and I accompanied Nicole and Ross to Danny’s cabin in Lake County. We spent the weekend exploring the beautiful valley, playing with the dogs, and having great meals and conversation around the table. Ross and Nicole were newly engaged and we took some engagement photos with their pup Edie at sunset. I also snapped some photos of Nicole’s mom, Jo Dee, with Danny, the love of her life, and some of Danny with Nicole. Danny had been battling cancer, but in April he looked great. We had three ATVs and he took the six of us (plus the pups!) on a tour of the valley. Somewhere along the way I lost the lens cap to my camera. We kept an eye out for it on the way back but never found it. I later learned that Danny went back and scoured the valley for it, all for an $8 piece of plastic. His heart was just that big.
On Saturday about an hour before the ceremony, Quincy learned that her neighborhood in Redwood Valley was being evacuated due to the threat of wildfire. The home that she shared with her fiancé, Kyle, and his six-year old son, River, was in immediate danger. But they were safe. Quincy shared with me that she knew there was nothing she could do but be present for the next hour. She stayed calm and was supportive of Nicole. She read one of Danny’s beautiful poems during the ceremony, and as the tears fell, their home and six others burned to the ground.
It is unimaginable to me how someone can experience so much loss in such a short amount of time. But they have stayed strong. Despite this devastation, Quincy and Kyle are planning their life together with a wedding set for next year. Luckily, at the time of the fire, Kyle was already wearing Danny’s ring.
The only way I know to help fundraise is to sell photographs. I am holding an Art Print Benefit Sale. All profits from photo prints purchased from my print shop through the end of the year will go directly to relief efforts for Quincy, Kyle, and River. The photos are really high quality and make beautiful gifts. To donate to Quincy and Kyle directly, you can send paypal donations to wrongsville@gmail.com or you can go to their donation page.
Please help Quincy and Kyle reach their relief goals.