Support organisations for people living with serious illness or disability

"Even after a diagnosis, you can be who you want to be"

People dealing with a disability or serious illness can be so overwhelmed by the symptoms and daily practicalities that their inner selves are forgotten or neglected. They may feel they have ‘become’ their diagnosis. Using photographs, they see the ‘real’ self – the one that has strength and inner resources – and this can lead to conversation about finding that strength and the coping mechanisms that will help them face the future with more optimism. Some clients are resistant to joining groups or support agencies, but for many the promise of a relaxed and informal photo session, a chat, and some superb photos will bring them in to the organisation.

Here is an account of a photoVoyage programme for 10 participants. It consisted of individual 90 minute photo and facilitation sessions over two days and a one day workshop on Day 3 with the whole group.

Penny devised and organised a photoVoyage programme tailored for the needs of the Multiple Sclerosis Society, Western Regional Office. People with MS from geographically remote parts of Ireland were targeted for enrolment. Response was huge and 10 participants were selected for each project. They were all very different in terms of their personality, their illness symptom profile and their family backgrounds - the aim was to get a very disparate group from different socioeconomic backgrounds for which the only common thread was their disease.

Chantal's voyage

Pat's voyage

Penny managed to bring these people together to experience their personal journeys but also to form an organic group who would grow from their experience and retain a social network and peer support after the end of the programme. Trust for each other and for Penny developed over the few days and frank, open and honest discussions ensued.

Formal feedback obtained from the participants was overwhelmingly positive. They found the programme extremely beneficial. Many reported that their view of themselves and their disease or disability had altered for the better. Others said that when family members looked at their photos and ultimately at them, they felt that they were seeing them in a different light. Most spoke about the fact that they were no longer perceived as a disease but rather as a person. It was the one significant factor which made their partners and families re-look at them, their relationships and allowed them to take stock.

They found Penny extremely supportive in her role both as photographer and facilitator. At all times her professionalism was commented on in a very positive manner. Her “ability to see beyond the person in a wheelchair” was how one participant described her.”

Matti Twoomey. Regional Coordinator, Western Regional Office.

Comments from previous participants…

Doing photovoyage was one of the best decisions I ever made. It helped me so much in coming to terms with my diagnosis after 9 years of not talking about it…..but thanks to photovoyage I am now dealing with it and life couldn’t be better!” L started seeing a counsellor after her photovoyag and.one year on she is still doing well

I wasn’t sure what to expect but it worked well for me. I felt I got a lot of help while looking at my photos and it felt very safe and enjoyable. I needed to do some work around my self-image and I felt very respected and cared for” - a therapist with MS who did a photovoyage

The photos gave me the encouragement I needed. They made me believe in myself again

I had a real reluctance to the idea of being photographed …..but I was very pleasantly surprised. I got to find out who I was – and talk about it …… the true picture in every sense of the word.

looking at my photos and talking lifted a huge weight off my shoulders. Thanks!