She's just happy to be here... for reals.

It's not often that you cross paths with an angel.

On July 2nd... I got to do just that.

Truth be told, I had crossed paths with this angel well in advance to her senior session, but I just didn't know it.   A secret had been kept from me.

This angel had visited us a couple years back when we did her sister Courtney's session.   And I had bumped into her at prom and tennis team pictures.  But I had no idea of the truth.

I pride myself in having my ear to the ground... doing my homework... knowing the story BEHIND the story.   It's the old reporter in me.

All I really knew was that of the two Svacina sisters (pronounced "SWAH-SEE-NAH") lil' Caitlin was the smaller, quieter and less bombastic of the two.   Kinda shy and unassuming, but that smile was always there, regardless.

So when Mama Sandra and Big Sis Court came in that day for the session... I had those two in my hip pocket as the the known quantities... the unknown?   Caitlin.

Other than her simple dance outfit and her bible... she traveled about as light as you'll ever see from a five outfit senior session.   I asked her what she wanted or didn't want...  She just looked back and me... smiled... and said...  "I dunno... I trust ya."

It was an open book full of the Svacina Trio going forward which we filled with our own story that afternoon.   Lots of laughs... razzing... reminiscing and in the end... I finally learned the missing piece of the puzzle that had eluded me to that point.

We had competed the epic dance costume finale' that included a leaping pose against he Iowa skies and my very best Darton Drake impersonation (see the veiled one eyed image down below) and then it finally came to light.

I was going through the inevitable, yet necessary price structure discussion with Sandra when the topic of retouching came up.   Caitlin then pointed to her chest and made sure I knew.

"Please don't retouch this."

As she pointed to what clearly was scar that split down the center of her chest, I noticed for the first time what she was talking about.

We were done.   Just about ready to send her out the door... and the old reporter needed to know more.

As it turns out.   Young Miss Caitlin very easily could have never made it to senior picture day.   In fact... she very well could've missed middle school... elementary school, pre-school... even her first birthday.

A few questions gave me the answers that my curiosity needed.   Caitlin was born with she was born with transposition of the great arteries (TGA) which meant that she needed an arterial switch because she basically had 2 separate circulatory systems.   What's that all mean?   It meant  the doctors had to detach the arteries and reattach them to the correct sides of the heart.

How about THAT for your marching orders on day ELEVEN of life when your heart is the size of a walnut????

Gulp.

Prepped for the worst... the Svacina's leaned on their faith and their little fighter made it through.   She might be little undersized now as a result, but that's a small price to pay for the youngest Svacina.   Not much phases this gal... because just like when she was 11 days old... she knows who is in control of her life... for better or worse... Every day since that day has been a blessing... so when her crazy photographer asks her such silly questions about what pose was important to her... she didn't have a good answer... and for good reason.   Big picture... it really matters very little...

She was just happy to be here.   And we're all blessed that she is here with us for the ride.