“Anything Can Be” is a project dedicated to bringing to life the wildest dreams of child cancer patients through photography. While it started with the idea of giving back, the children who took part gave the photographer more than he ever could have imagined.
Jonathan Diaz loved photography for its ability to transport children from the real world and take them into an enchanted universe where their dreams became a reality.
His first subjects were his own children, who inspired him to use his talents to help people in need. From there, he reached out to children battling cancer, with the sole intent of giving them a once-in-a-lifetime photo shoot capable of transporting them far away and into another reality.
He realised cancer has no effect on the imagination of children. Each child he met had the courage to dream of the future and the power to make their wildest dreams seem real.
Each child was given the chance to be exactly who they wanted to be, whether they were in Wonderland, a mermaid, a baker; they were all in a place where cancer didn’t exist.
From his subjects, Diaz learned to never give up hope.
“For these kids, their fantasies are just as real if not more real than the illnesses they fight, and as grown-ups, the very least we can do is believe.”
Jordan was released from the hospital at the age of 12 and was welcomed at home to her very own Wonderland. With the support of her family, she stood up on her own two feet and in spite of the pain, she had the time of her life. Two weeks later, Jordan passed away, but her memory lives on in Jonathan Diaz’s magical portrait.
Diaz expressed his thoughts on the project.
“This project means everything to me. It has been life changing.”
