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10 Minutes Before Closing, Photographer Internally Groans When Customer Walks In. Then He Sees HER.

Whether you’re in school or at work, you most likely have run through this scenario: You’ve had a long day and can’t wait to go home as you watch the clock countdown the last few minutes.

One Melbourne-based photographer doesn’t accept walk-ins and requires bookings months in advance. As you can imagine, he internally groans when he notices a woman and a young girl enter his studio only 10 minutes before closing. But the events that happened afterward changed his life forever…

It is a true story that was originally shared on the ‘Not Always Right‘ website. The post is entitled “That is ‘Pretty’ Awesome” and after reading this illustrated story, you’ll probably agree it’s pretty awesome as well. Just like this other comic about a young boy and his three-legged dog, get ready for a roller coaster of emotions.

(I am a photographer running a studio in the inner city. We are well known for our children’s portraits, and we range from high-end portraits for modelling jobs to fun sibling photos and birth announcements. We do a bit of everything; as such, we are extremely busy, and it states on our website that we do not accept walk-ins. We are usually booked up six months in advance. One day, ten minutes before closing, a mum walks in with a young girl around six or seven behind her. I internally groan.) (At this point the little girl peeks around her mother’s legs and I’m lost for words. Under her thick winter coat and hat, she is skeletally thin with huge dark circles under her eyes. From what I can tell, she has no hair, and a tube taped to her cheek that feeds into her nose. It is immediately clear this kid is very, very sick.) (At this point she actually starts crying. I realise that our next available appointment is probably way too far away for this particular kid. The little girl squeezes her mother’s hand. I am a very big dude, covered in tattoos and a beard, but I’m not ashamed to say I needed a minute before I spoke. I lock the front door and spend the next three hours taking photos of this kid in every princess costume I have in my closet. She is the sweetest, most well-behaved kid I have ever worked with. Once we’re done she curls up on the couch in my office and falls asleep while I load up the photos for her mum to see and choose the ones she likes best, and ask her what kind of retouching she’d like done. She’s adamant that I leave her daughter as is - apparently the little girl has been worried for the past month that she is no longer "pretty.") (The mother thanks me over and over and comes up front, carrying her sleeping daughter, and holds out her credit card. A few days later I send the link through and hear nothing. I see she’s downloaded the photos and I think nothing of it, hoping my sweet little friend loved her photos. Almost six months later I’m once again closing up when a very familiar face pops up at my window, grinning and waving frantically.) (Sure enough, she’d put on some weight, was flushed and pink, and had a fine fuzz of hair over her head. Her mother was a few steps behind her, grinning. She once again tried to force an envelope full of money into my hand, and again I refused. She got frustrated and eventually in her exasperation said, “at least let us take you to dinner!” which I happily accepted. Seven years later that photo of a sick little girl astride a giant pink unicorn is in a frame in my lounge room. My now-step-daughter groans every time I point it out to the friends she brings home!)

H/t: Bored Panda

Such an amazing story that tugs at your heartstrings at the end. Please share this story of a pretty young girl that beat cancer and received another amazing gift with your friends and family.

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