Some projects we choose, and others choose us. “Grandma Techno Checks In” tells the story of three weeks in early 2018 when I was hospitalized for flu-related problems exacerbated by the chronic progressive MS I have lived with since 1988. Once the infection was under control, I was transferred to an inpatient physical rehabilitation center for extensive physical and occupational therapy to help me regain my strength and mobility. This was my first hospitalization since 1966.
The only thing over which I felt I had any control was taking iPhone photos and posting them on Instagram with text that told the story of what I was experiencing. From the start it was the people that I wanted to photograph – those medical professionals and health care workers who receive little thanks or recognition for doing jobs that are often difficult and sometimes downright unpleasant. Every interaction I had and each individual I encountered made me feel like they really cared about me, and wanted to see me get better. I only hope this exhibition will help others see these people through my eyes and appreciate the difference they make in people’s lives in times of pain, stress and sickness, because they have certainly made a difference in mine.
This project was first seen on Instagram and then sponsored by United Photo Industries (UPI), curated by Krystal Grow and exhibited by invitation at the 7th annual Photoville festival under the Brooklyn Bridge in September 2018.
