Hope has been on the minds of thousands after Hurricane Harvey, but for the Chimeno family, “hope” takes on a whole other meaning.
That’s because Hope is the name of their newborn. The baby was only 10 days old when the Chimeno family realized they were going to have to evacuate their property in Orange, Texas. With baby Hope and their other two children in tow, the couple left their home.
That’s when the family was lucky enough to come in contact with Chris and Clint Sanford. The two brothers were working rescue duty as part of the Cajun Navy, a group that uses their own boats to help others in crisis.
The Sanford brothers brought all five members of the Chimeno family to safety in the nearby town of Lake Charles, Louisiana.
Anyone would be relieved to reach safety in this moment, but the Chimenos must have felt an extra wave of relief knowing that their 10-day-old daughter was just as safe and sound as the rest of the family.
Everyone was touched by the story of Hope.
Katy Sanford, Chris’ wife, asked the Chimenos if Hope had had her newborn photo shoot yet. Understandably, that was the last thing on the Chimenos’ minds, but Katy insisted that they have the photo shoot. She even put them in contact with her friend who is a photographer.
“[Katy] texted me and asked if I would be willing to take pictures of the family,” Noelle Mills told Today.
After hearing Hope and her family’s incredible story, Mills agreed to doing the shoot without having to give it another thought.
“I had to ask myself, ‘What’s most important right now?'” Mills explained. “I don’t have a lot of time or money, but what I can give is my photography.”
With Mills on-board, Katy was able to put together the touching photo shoot that she was inspired to capture after hearing Hope’s story. She arranged for the rescue boat and life vests to be used as props. It was a creative and heart-warming idea that would add yet another layer to the miraculous story the shoot would be capturing.
The photos, which were all capture on Labor Day, turned out even better than anyone could have imagined.
Mills raved over how wonderful it was to photograph Hope and her family.
“I’ve done several newborn shoots, and it’s not easy because the child can be tiring, and you’re working hard to keep them still…Here she was, outside, in a onesie, on a metal boat, in a life jacket, and she was wonderful. It was an extra treat.”
The beautiful family photos are an inspiring sight in such a trying time. Mills herself summed it up best.
“It’s a story of triumph,” said Mills. “In a heavy time, she’s a ray of sunshine.”
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